(Kenosha County Sheriff)
KENOSHA, Wis. — A 36-year-old Kenosha man is facing felony charges after allegedly leading police on a high-speed pursuit through Pleasant Prairie on Tuesday and nearly striking a police sergeant with his vehicle.
Alan E. Mintern was formally charged Wednesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court with first-degree recklessly endangering safety and hit-and-run involving an attended vehicle. Court Commissioner William Michel II set Mintern’s cash bail at $15,000. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 14.
According to a criminal complaint filed by Assistant District Attorney Daniel Tombasco, Pleasant Prairie Police Sgt. Zachary Dutter was on patrol near 93rd Street and 39th Avenue on May 6 around 3 p.m. when he observed a white Ford SUV traveling at an estimated 75 to 85 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone. The vehicle was smoking heavily and appeared damaged.
As the SUV approached Dutter’s marked squad car, it allegedly veered into his lane and forced him to swerve to avoid a crash. Dutter indicated that had he not taken evasive action, the SUV likely would have struck his vehicle head-on — an impact he believed could have seriously injured or killed him.
The suspect vehicle ignored a stop sign and sped away. Dutter activated his lights and sirens and pursued the SUV, which was tailgating another car at close distance. Around the same time, dispatch began receiving 911 calls about a hit-and-run crash near 85th Street and Cooper Road involving a white SUV matching the same description.
The pursuit ended shortly afterward when the SUV came to a stop. The vehicle’s airbag had deployed, and smoke was still coming from the engine compartment. Officers conducted a high-risk stop and identified the driver as Mintern, the sole occupant of the vehicle.
According to the complaint, officers noted a moderate odor of alcohol on Mintern’s breath. He reportedly admitted to drinking three or four Modelo beers prior to driving. He failed field sobriety tests and was later subjected to a blood draw under a search warrant. Mintern was also cited for operating while intoxicated—first offense, a non-criminal ordinance violation in Wisconsin.
Police later interviewed the other driver involved in the earlier hit-and-run. She told officers she had been stopped at a red light when her vehicle was struck from behind. She reported experiencing neck pain and remained on the line with 911 while following Mintern’s vehicle.
If convicted on the felony count, Mintern faces up to 12 years and 6 months in prison. He remains in custody at the Kenosha County Jail.
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5 Responses
Should be no bail.
A homicide waiting to happen.
Every morning I take a giant Alan E. Mintern 36 of Kenosha, then I feel better.
Wouldn’t say this to his face Mr anonymous
You wouldn’t say that to him Mr anonymous
Must be one of his grandkids.