Portage, Wisconsin – A 19-year-old driver faces charges after allegedly fleeing deputies at speeds exceeding 100 mph across multiple Wisconsin counties Friday afternoon.
According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, dispatchers received a report around 2:33 p.m. Friday, February 20, of three vehicles racing on Highway 33 east of Portage, driving recklessly and passing into oncoming traffic.
A sheriff’s detective located a Dodge Challenger matching the description and attempted a traffic stop. Authorities said the driver fled westbound on Highway 33 toward Caledonia after emergency lights were activated, driving in no-passing zones and into oncoming traffic at speeds well over 100 mph. The pursuit was terminated after the detective lost sight of the vehicle.
Shortly afterward, Wisconsin State Patrol located the vehicle parked at the Boxx Office in Portage. When another stop was attempted, authorities said the driver again fled, entering Interstate 90/94 and continuing at high speeds. The pursuit was again discontinued.
The vehicle was later spotted in Sauk and Juneau counties before authorities identified the driver as Preston White, 19, of Colfax. Investigators said the Dodge Challenger’s plates had been removed and its appearance altered.
White was taken into custody later that evening in Osseo and transported to the Columbia County Jail. He appeared in Columbia County Circuit Court on Tuesday, February 24, and was charged with vehicle operator fleeing/eluding an officer and second-degree recklessly endangering safety.
He was released on a $2,500 cash bond. Authorities said additional charges are possible.
The incident involved multiple law enforcement agencies across the region.
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