MADISON, WI — Madison police say they arrested a 28-year-old driver after a wrong-way crash on the city’s west side Monday afternoon left three vehicles damaged but no one injured.
Officers said the man drove the wrong way through the intersection of Mineral Point and South Gammon roads around 1:20 p.m. and ran multiple red lights before the collision. Police said he then stripped down to his underwear and fled the scene with his dog.
Officers found him nearby and took him into custody. Police said he appeared intoxicated.
Police say the driver ran red lights before the crash
According to Madison police, the sequence began when the driver headed the wrong direction into a busy intersection on the west side of the city. Investigators said he ignored traffic signals and kept moving through multiple red lights before the crash happened.
The collision involved three vehicles. Police did not report serious injuries, and the department said nobody was hurt.
The crash unfolded in daylight at one of the city’s major west-side intersections, where Mineral Point and South Gammon roads carry steady traffic. The roadway layout and signalized crossing made the wrong-way driving especially dangerous for other motorists in the area.
After the crash he fled in his underwear with his dog
Police said the driver’s behavior changed quickly after the wreck. Officers reported that he removed his clothes down to his underwear and ran from the scene while still accompanied by his dog.
He did not get far. Police said officers located him nearby and placed him under arrest shortly afterward.
The dog was later found safe. Madison police did not say how the animal ended up at the scene or whether anyone else had been with the man before the crash.
Signs of intoxication led to additional investigation
Authorities said the man showed signs of intoxication after the crash, which prompted further action by officers. Police did not describe exactly what those signs were, but they treated impairment as a concern in the case.
He was taken to a hospital for a blood draw, a step that can be used in impaired-driving investigations. After that, officers transported him to the Dane County Jail.
Police said the arrest included charges of operating while intoxicated and resisting arrest. He also faces multiple traffic citations tied to the wrong-way driving and crash sequence.
No injuries reported as the intersection reopened to traffic
Despite the unusual scene and the multi-vehicle collision, police said no one was hurt. That meant the incident ended as a criminal and traffic enforcement matter rather than a medical emergency.
The crash still disrupted the west-side intersection and drew a police response during the middle of the day. Officials did not release details about how long the scene remained active or whether any of the vehicles had to be towed.
Police have not said what led the man to drive the wrong way or why he fled half-dressed with his dog after the crash.
Charges and citations follow the arrest
The case now moves forward through the criminal process after the arrest and jail booking. Police said the man faces operating-while-intoxicated charges, a resisting-arrest allegation and several traffic citations.
Madison police identified him only as a 28-year-old man and did not immediately release his name in the information provided. No court schedule or attorney comments were included with the police account.
The episode stands out because of both the driving behavior and the odd flight from the scene. Even so, the department’s focus remained on the public safety risk created by a wrong-way driver on a busy city intersection.
