Charges: Drunken Driver Smashed into Qdoba After Police Chase

A Brookfield man with a February drunken driving conviction was intoxicated early Sunday when he led police on a high-speed chase, eventually smashing into a Qdoba restaurant in Wauwatosa, charges allege.

Andrew J. Brumage, 24, was charged Monday in Waukesha County Circuit Court  with fleeing police and causing damage, second-offense operating while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle after revocation of his license. If convicted, he faces up to 7½ years in prison and $13,600 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

At 12:52 a.m. Sunday, a Brookfield patrol officer saw Brumage nearly hit a median several times while driving westbound on West Capitol Drive near North 128th Street. Brumage then ran a red light at Lilly Road and did a U-turn in the 14300 block of Capitol. The officer tried to pull Brumage over, but he began to speed away.

The officer chased Brumage, who was driving at 100 miles per hour and ran another red light at 128th Street. The officer stopped the chase due to safety concerns, but another Brookfield officer was waiting just west of North 124th Street in a median turn-around area.

Brumage was still driving 100 miles per hour when he approached the intersection and tried to turn south onto 124th Street. His car hit the median, went airborne and hit the restaurant on the southeast corner of the intersection, in Wauwatosa.

Brumage was arrested and smelled of alcohol when he was in the back of the squad, an officer said. Police said Brumage failed field sobriety tests and registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.144, which is nearly twice the legal limit to drive.

Brumage previously was convicted of OWI on Feb. 8. He was free on $2,500 bond while awaiting trial. A preliminary hearing was set for Aug. 17.