State Patrol: Driver arrested after SUV plunges 100′ into Mirror Lake

BARABOO, Wis. (WMTV) - The driver of an SUV that went off a Sauk Co. bridge and plunged approximately 100 feet down an embankment into a lake has been arrested for allegedly driving under the influence.

According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, troopers were receiving reports about an SUV driving erratically down I-90/94. Witnesses told authorities that the vehicle hit a barrier wall, did a complete 360-degree spin, and struck a signpost.

Minutes later, around 5:30 p.m., the SUV left the highway, went off the bridge over Mirror Lake and down the embankment into the water below.

The driver was able to swim free of the vehicle and troopers were able to pull the individual, whose name was not released, to safety, WSP continued. While checking the driver for injuries, investigators detected signs of impairment.

After being taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the driver was arrested on a count of operating while intoxicated, among other allegations.

Troopers determined no one else was in the vehicle.

The interstate was closed for hours while crews worked to hoist the SUV out of the water and back onto the bridge.

Crews were able to reopen the interstate around midnight.

The incident remains under investigation, WSP added.

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