Drunk Driver Hit Cars On I-41 Fled Police With 4-Year-Old: Report

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WI — Authorities in Milwaukee County say that a 36-year-old Waukesha man drove drunk with a four-year-old child in the back seat as he struck several cars and led police on a high speed chase.

Authorities say that Steven P. Swieciak was arrested after the incident on suspicion of OWI-3rd offense with a passenger under age 16 in the vehicle. Swieciak was subjected to a preliminary breath test, which recorded a .147 blood alcohol concentration - greater than Wisconsin's OWI limit of 0.08.

Sheriff's officials say that at about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, they learned that several drivers on I-41 were struck by a person driving a black Toyota on I-41 north near Mayfair Road. One of the motorists followed the fleeing vehicle and saw the car strike a barrier wall at Capitol Drive and continue driving with a flat right front tire until exiting at Appleton Ave.

Officials said Menomonee Falls police and Waukesha County sheriffs were notified. Menomonee Falls located the vehicle, which did not stop, and they deployed stop sticks. The vehicle sustained three flat tires, and eventually came to a stop near County Line Road. Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputies arrived on scene and suspected that Swieciak had been drinking. A four-year-old child was found in the back seat, restrained in a child seat.

According to court records, Swieciak's prior OWI convictions were in Sep. 2009 and Aug. 2015. Authorities say he will also be charged with Hit and Run, a misdemeanor. Further charges are anticipated from the Menomonee Falls Police Department, and they took custody of the child and turned him over to Child Protective Services. If convicted on both charges, Swieciak faces up to four years behind bars.

Acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt said in a prepared statement, “This man displayed a total disregard for life, including that of a four-year-old child in his car. He imperiled countless other lives on the freeway, striking vehicles and barrier walls without stopping."

Image Via Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office