ZENDA, Wis. — The tiny unincorporated community of Zenda was shaken up by a big crash Tuesday night. Authorities say a driver lost control after crossing state lines to escape police.
The driver, who investigators identified as a 26-year-old man, veered off of Zenda Road and slammed into a house. Two passengers were in the car and all three were hospitalized.
The people who live in the affected home told TMJ4 they were not home at the time and are using insurance to repair the damage.
Jan Ostermeier lives next to the house where the car landed and was home when the crash happened.
"He went through the air and hit branches about 20 feet high," Ostermeier said. "I didn't believe how a car could fly that distance."
The pursuit started in the driver's hometown of Richmond, Illinois, where police there say he was wanted on several warrants. An officer attempted to arrest the man in the parking lot of the Richmond McDonald's, but the driver sped away across the Wisconsin state line and hit a squad car during the pursuit.
Watch: Driver fleeing police crashes into Walworth County home, leaving neighbors stunned
Authorities in Wisconsin tell TMJ4 the driver drove on State Highway 120 and Lakeshore Drive through Bloomfield and Linn before speeding south on Zenda Road.
The Bloomfield Police Department is handling the investigation and tell TMJ4 they will forward charges against the driver to the Walworth County Sheriff's Office. The Richmond Police Department told TMJ4 they also plan to pursue charges against the driver in Illinois.
While police investigate the circumstances, Ostermeier and his neighbor are left to clean up the mess the crash left behind.
"I'm 81 years old, and there's bigger stuff than what I can lift," Ostermeier said. "This lawn was totally clean before last night."
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