High-speed chase ends in crash with squad car, woman facing 16 years in prison

CALEDONIA — A wrong-way driver that led Caledonia Police on a high-speed chase before a crash into a Sheriff’s Department squad car early Friday morning now faces three criminal charges in Racine County Circuit Court.

Lanora Wright, 59, of Racine, is charged with felony counts of fleeing/eluding causing damage to property and second-degree recklessly endangering safety, along with her second drunk driving offense, a misdemeanor.

The two felony charges carry a total possible prison term of 16 years and a $35,000 fine.

Wright remains in custody in the Racine County Jail on a $500 cash bond and a $1,000 signature bond.

The criminal complaint: high-speed chase, multiple crashes causing damage to property, intoxicated driving

At about 3 a.m. on Friday, a sergeant with the Caledonia Police Department on patrol near the 8400 block of Four Mile Road observed the defendant’s vehicle as it traveled on the wrong side of the road. As the officer followed, he observed the vehicle swerving and attempted a traffic stop.

Wright allegedly failed to pull over, and instead crossed into the other lane of traffic, struck a mailbox, crossed back across traffic, crashed into a ditch and struck a sign. Wright then drove out of the ditch and ran through the stop sign at Highway H.

From there, the speeds increased to about 60 mph, when the defendant nearly struck a semi-truck, before Wright crashed into a squad car that had positioned itself in front of a utility truck at Four Mile Road and Highway V.

The officer noted in the complaint that had the squad not been parked where it was, Wright’s vehicle would have crashed into the utility truck while the employee was up in the basket.

As police attempted to place the defendant under arrest, she apparently drove off again, before she stopped up the road. Officers broke the windows, and as Wright again tried to leave, were able to finally immobilize the vehicle and take her into custody.

Police observed that Wright’s eyes were bloodshot, her speech was slow and slurred, she seemed drowsy and disoriented and appeared unsteady on her feet. She admitted to taking 150 mg of Pregabalin and 30 mg of Zoloft before she drove.

Wright was then taken to a local hospital, where a legal blood draw to determine her level of intoxication was completed. Results of that test were not included in the criminal complaint.

Wright is due back in court on May 3, for a 9 a.m. preliminary hearing.