Driver Who Crashed into Tree in Bay Charged with Running from Cops, OWI

Charges have been filed against the Sheboygan man accused of running from local police while driving drunk, eventually crashing into a tree in Whitefish Bay and injuring his passengers last weekend.

Deandrae Hudson, 21, was charged Wednesday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with one felony count of attempting to flee or elude a traffic officer and one misdemeanor count of first offense operating while intoxicated/causing injury. 

According to the criminal complaint:

Early Sunday morning, court documents say a Shorewood officer was patrolling in the 1100 block of East Capitol Drive when he spotted an eastbound black sedan traveling 62 MPH in a 30 MPH-zone.

The sedan drove through an intersection at 60 MPH, prompting the officer to turn on his siren and emergency lights. The car continued speeding, running through a red light at Capitol Drive and North Maryland Avenue and narrowly avoiding an accident with another car, police say.

When the sedan reached North Lake Drive, it turned northbound, and continued speeding, later turning off it lights, according to the court documents. That’s when Shorewood police discontinued its pursuit and notified Whitefish Bay police the car was entering their village, the criminal complaint says. 

Two minutes later, Whitefish Bay police reported they were on the scene of a car accident at Fairmount Avenue and Lake Drive where a black car had collided with a tree, the court documents read. Two of three occupants were trapped in the car and had to be extricated by North Shore Fire Department. The back passenger escaped with minor injuries and another was transported to the hospital for injuries including a fractured leg, according to the court documents.

Police made contact with the driver, Hudson, who they say smelled of alcohol. No field sobriety tests were conducted because of injuries from the car accident. 

Investigators are awaiting the results of a blood test to determine Hudson's blood alcohol content at the time of the crash, police say. 

One of the occupants later told police all three of the people in the car had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana prior to getting into the car, according to the criminal complaint.

If convicted, he could face up to 4 years and six months imprisonment, $12,000 in fines, or both. The OWI charge carries a minimum sentence of $300 in fines and 30 days in the county jail.

Hudson’ initial court appearance is scheduled for July 15, according to online court records.