A Muscoda man who eluded police after a hit-and-run crash with a Muscoda police car Feb. 23, then turned himself in to authorities one day later, faces six charges and six citations.
Wayne A. Ferguson, 48, is charged with two counts of fleeing or eluding an officer — bodily harm or property damage, resisting or obstructing an officer, and three counts of misdemeanor bail jumping.
Ferguson was also cited for failure to yield while making a left turn causing bodily harm, failure to notify police of an accident, driver possession of open intoxicants in a motor vehicle, operating left of center, and two counts of operating a motor vehicle without insurance.
Ferguson pleaded not guilty to the charges March 19, according to court records. A status conference on all the charges and citations is scheduled for May 19, with trail scheduled for June 2 and June 9.
Ferguson was involved in a hit-and-run crash with an SUV driven by Christine Gulsrud, 44, Richland Center, on Wisconsin 133 at West Pine Road in the Town of Muscoda around 7:07 p.m. Ferguson turned north from 133 to West Pine Road in front of Gulsrud’s SUV, which was going west, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Gulsrud and her passengers, Anthony Davis, 19, Abbotsford, and Allyssa Lisney, 12, Richland Center, were wearing seat belts and had minor injuries.
Ferguson’s van lost its rear passenger-side tire, but Ferguson left the scene, driving east on 133 on three tires, according to the Sheriff’s Office. A Muscoda police officer saw Ferguson’s van near 133 and Sportsman’s Drive and tried to stop him, starting a pursuit through Muscoda.
At one point during the pursuit Ferguson turned around and rammed the Muscoda police SUV, causing “moderate” front-end damage, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The pursuit ended at 133 and Sportsman’s Drive when Ferguson tried to ram the squad car again in reverse, though Ferguson missed the squad and ended up in the ditch. Ferguson then fled on foot, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Grant County K-9 A-Rod followed a 1.5-mile track to Ferguson’s house on Thrush Cove. A search of the property failed to find Ferguson. Sheriff’s deputies were told someone had picked up Ferguson just before authorities arrived.
The Muscoda officer was treated and released by Muscoda EMS for minor injuries.
Authorities believe alcohol contributed to the incident.
Ferguson was free on a $500 signature bond after he was charged Feb. 16 with two counts of violating the state’s wild ginseng law and criminal damage to property as a repeater for an incident Sept. 1. Ferguson pleaded no contest to the citations March 9 and was suspended from Department of Natural Resources licenses for one year. Ferguson pleaded no contest to the criminal damage to property charge April 8 and fined $443.
