A routine traffic stop in Wisconsin escalated into a surreal sequence of events on May 9, culminating in a high-speed pursuit where a fleeing driver became airborne and jumped his vehicle over another car. The incident, captured on dashcam footage released by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, shows a vehicle launching off an embankment and soaring across a roadway before landing in a nearby field.
The driver, identified as 44-year-old Dewayne Stokes, was taken into custody after the crash. While the footage has since gone viral for its cinematic nature, the legal consequences for Stokes are substantial, involving multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to the Wisconsin high-speed chase car jump and the events leading up to it.
The pursuit began when the Wisconsin State Patrol initiated a stop. Upon discovering that the driver had an active felony warrant, troopers requested backup. As a deputy from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office and an additional state trooper arrived on the scene, Stokes accelerated away from the officers, triggering a chase that spanned approximately four and a half miles.
The Sequence of the Airborne Crash
The pursuit reached a violent conclusion when Stokes lost control of his vehicle. According to law enforcement records, the car veered off the road and into a ditch. The momentum carried the vehicle up a steep embankment, which acted as a ramp, launching the car into the air.
In a moment captured clearly by police cameras, the vehicle flew entirely over another car that was positioned on the road. The car continued its trajectory across the pavement, eventually coming to a rest in a field on the opposite side of the highway. Despite the severity of the impact and the distance traveled through the air, Stokes survived the crash.
The arrest did not happen immediately upon impact. Police reports indicate that Stokes exited the vehicle and resisted apprehension. Officers were forced to deploy a Taser to subdue him before he could be placed in handcuffs. Following his arrest, Stokes was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries sustained during the flight and subsequent crash.
Legal Charges and Judicial History
The fallout from the chase has left Stokes facing a complex set of legal challenges. Court documents show that he has been charged with seven separate counts. Among the most severe is first-degree reckless endangering safety, a charge that reflects the high risk posed to other motorists and officers during the airborne event.
In addition to the reckless endangerment charge, Stokes faces two counts of eluding an officer. The judicial response to the incident was swift, with a judge setting a cash bond of $25,000 for his release.
The incident was further complicated by Stokes’ existing legal status. At the time of the pursuit, he was already out on bond for a previous charge of operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent. The felony warrant that triggered the initial stop was issued after Stokes failed to appear in court for that prior case.
Case Summary and Legal Status
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Dewayne Stokes, 44 |
| Primary Charges | 1st-degree reckless endangering safety, eluding an officer (2 counts) |
| Total Charges | 7 counts |
| Bond Amount | $25,000 (Cash) |
| Incident Date | May 9, 2024 |
Impact on Public Safety
While the footage has drawn attention for its rarity, law enforcement officials emphasized the extreme danger inherent in high-speed elusions. The trajectory of Stokes’ vehicle not only endangered the occupants of the car he jumped over but also posed a significant threat to the pursuing deputies and any other commuters on the roadway.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office released the footage as a matter of public record, illustrating the volatile nature of felony warrants and the risks associated with fleeing police. The incident highlights the critical role of dashcam verification in modern policing, providing an objective timeline of the vehicle’s path from the road to the field.
Disclaimer: This report is based on available court documents and law enforcement statements. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The legal process for Stokes is ongoing. He is currently scheduled to return to court on June 24 for further proceedings regarding his charges and bond status.
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