1 crash 4 OWI's
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:18 pm
This happened just north of where I used to live in Janesville, Wisconsin. By Gina DuweGazette StaffTOWN OF MILTON-It's not very often that two drunken drivers are arrested after a crash. Or three.Or four.But that was the case early Sunday morning on Highway 26 just north of John Paul Road, according to the Rock County Sheriff's Department.After two drunken drivers collided, a third drunken driver crashed into them, and a fourth later attempted to drive through the crash scene."It was a heck of night," third shift patrol Sgt. Josh Lund said.According to the sheriff's department: At about 2:23 a.m. Sunday, Randy J. Beaty, 39, of Beloit was driving a 1994 Chevrolet van north on Highway 26. His van crossed the centerline and collided with an oncoming 1993 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Humberto Alonzo Ponce, 26, of 1211 Gerald Court, No. 4, Fort Atkinson.Beaty's vehicle ended up in a field several hundred yards north of the crash scene. Ponce's vehicle came to rest in the center of the road, where it was struck by a southbound 1995 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Carlos Torres-Ramos, 25, of Beloit.The impact of the crash pushed Ponce's car into one of his passengers, Jose Amador, 25, of Beloit who had exited the vehicle and was standing in the middle of the road. A fourth drunken driver made the situation more complicated about an hour later while vehicles still blocked traffic in both directions of Highway 26. "He just decided he was going to drive through the accident scene," Lund said.Deputies stopped and arrested Enrique Pena, 29, of Beloit on charges of drunken driving, possession of cocaine, obstructing an officer and operating without a valid license. "This doesn't happen very often," Lund said. Ponce was airlifted to UW Hospital in Madison with severe head and facial injuries. Amador was transported to Mercy Hospital in Janesville and was in fair condition this morning after being treated for head and facial injuries. Two other passengers in Ponce's vehicle-Modesto Gomez, 25, of Beloit and Jouany Olmega, 21, of 1210 Anthony Ave., Janesville-also were treated and released at Mercy Hospital.Ponce and Beaty both were arrested on charges of causing injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Beaty also was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana and probation violation.Torres-Ramos was arrested on a charge of causing great bodily harm by intoxicated use of a vehicle. He was held at the Rock County Jail.Because of the nature of the crash and the serious injuries, the crash was reconstructed by the Wisconsin State Patrol, which closed Highway 26 between County N and Klug Road for about five hours.