Driver Trying to Avoid OWI Ticket Charged with Felony for Fleeing

A Brookfield man with around 2½ times the legal level of alcohol in his bloodstream tried to outrace a squad car rather than take a municipal ticket for first-offense drunken driving, according to a criminal complaint.

As a result, Daniel P. Lonski, 23, is facing a criminal felony charge, as well as an OWI citation, for fleeing from an officer. If convicted, he would be looking at a sentence of up to three years and six months in prison.

On the night of March 24, Lonski was spotted by a patrol officer driving an estimated 80 to 90 mph northbound on Brookfield Road. The officer turned off Bennington Drive to follow, hitting his emergency lights.

Lonski slowed to 30 or 40 mph as he approached Gebhardt Road, the officer said, but then gunned it through the four-way stop and took off again. The officer hit his siren, but Lonski only went faster, with both cars reaching 90 mph.

Approaching North Avenue, Lonski turned off his lights and ran that stop sign, making a hard right turn and then a left into a driveway. He failed to elude the officer, though, who followed and cornered him in the drive.

Lonski admitted he had run to avoid an arrest for operating while intoxicated, and there was more than ample evidence of impairment. Lonski was staggering, the officer said, and there was an open case of beer in the car, with several scattered empties.

Lonski blew a .21 on an initial breath test and later was retested at .19 on an evidentiary intoximeter test.

Lonski's initial, mandatory court appearance is scheduled for June 3.