A Fitchburg man was arrested Wednesday by the University of Wisconsin Police Department after a traffic stop where he fled the scene and later crashed the vehicle. He is not affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
At approximately 2 a.m., UWPD officers stopped Jason P. O’Neal, 35, for driving on a one-way street the wrong way, according to a department release. O’Neal then fled the scene with his vehicle before crashing at the intersection of Campus Drive and Babcock Drive and fleeing on foot.
O’Neal was taken into custody approximately two blocks away from the crash site. He resisted arrest and also threatened the UWPD officers and their families.
UWPD Executive Director of Communication Marc Lovicott said that the vehicle crash did not cause any property damage.
"There may be some damage to the grass where the vehicle ended up, but we won't know until the snow clears," Lovicott said.
O’Neal was issued citations for driving the wrong-way on a one-way street, open intoxicants, and the hit and run.
He was later booked into the Dane County Jail on tentative charges. Felony charges include 1st Degree Reckless Endangerment, Fleeing/Eluding an Officer and Battery/Threats to Law Enforcement. Other charges include Operating while Intoxicated (3rd offense), Operating after Revocation, Failure to Install Ignition Interlock Device, Resisting Arrest and Probation Violation.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 9:40 a.m. on Thursday, February 10, 2022, to include new information about the incident from UWPD Executive Director of Communications Marc Lovicott.
