Alleged intoxicated motorist traveling against traffic flow encounters Vice President Kamala Harris' convoy on a highway in Milwaukee
Around 8:25 PM, a 55-year-old man from Milwaukee, driving an SUV, went against the traffic flow on Interstate 94's eastbound lanes, approaching a motorcade at the Marquette Interchange, as per James Burnett, spokesperson for the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. As he got nearer to the motorcade, authorities blocked the SUV, Burnett stated.
Officers, suspecting the driver might be under the influence and noticed an open alcohol container inside the vehicle, carried out field sobriety tests and further investigative steps, according to Burnett. They subsequently arrested the driver on proposed charges of driving under the influence and endangering safety recklessly.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to a request for video footage of the event Tuesday night. However, CNN affiliate WISN provided video indicating a vehicle moving in the left-hand lane against the flow of traffic, while other vehicles passed by on the right.
Luckily, nobody got injured in the incident. The sheriff’s office declined to discuss the motorcade and referred any queries to the United States Secret Service.
The Secret Service confirmed their awareness of the incident, involving a motorist driving against the traffic flow during the Vice President's motorcade trip. They expressed gratitude towards the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office for halting the motorist and taking the driver into custody on DUI charges, as mentioned in their statement.
Kamala Harris was touring Waukesha County Monday, campaigning with former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, and had visited the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan for campaign stops.
CNN reached out to Harris's campaign for a statement, despite the latest incident.
The event took place amid strains on the Secret Service during a hectic campaign season and Acting Director Ronald Rowe's description of an "unprecedented and hyper-dynamic threat environment." Recently, an expert panel suggested a total makeover of Secret Service leadership due to their past security failures, such as the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Pennsylvania this summer.
Just a few weeks ago, several vehicles in the motorcade of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz were involved in a collision, resulting in some passengers requiring hospital treatment for non-critical injuries.
The authorities conducted field sobriety tests on us due to their suspicions and found open alcohol, leading to our arrest on charges of driving under the influence and endangerment.
We, as the driver and passenger in the vehicle, were thankful that nobody was injured in the incident.
