Posted Monday, September 10, 2012 --- 11:10 p.m.

Press Release from UW-Madison Police:

Madison, Wisconsin – On 09/09/12 at approximately 10:30 p.m., a University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Officer was controlling traffic at the intersection of N. Park St. near Langdon St. for the IronMan race through the campus and greater downtown Madison area.

The officer spotted a vehicle traveling northbound on N. Park St. near State Street Mall.

The vehicle, which had already disregarded traffic barricades at N. Park St. and University Ave., continued traveling north, past another set of barricades, and over top of cones, entering the marathon portion of the IronMan course.

The suspect vehicle nearly struck several pedestrians, IronMan participants, and the police officer, who was out of his car on foot.

The driver, Michael A Potter, of Madison, WI eventually brought the vehicle to a stop, on the marathon course at the intersection of N. Park St. and Langdon St., with cones that had marked the course lodged under his vehicle.

University Police Officers conducted field sobriety tests of Potter and arrested him on the tentative charges of Operating a Motor Vehicle while Intoxicated, 4th Offense, Operating a Motor Vehicle after Revocation (OWI Related), and Failure to Obey Traffic Officer/Sign. Mr. Potter was booked into the Dane County Jail to await his initial appearance.

No injuries were reported due to this incident and the course remained open throughout the incident.