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| Mark, did you order some energy drinks? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 14 2010, 07:09 AM (138 Views) | |
| brenda | May 14 2010, 07:09 AM Post #1 |
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![]() Semi chased in Wisconsin turns out to have energy drinks SPARTA - A semi-trailer truck that prompted closing down Hwy. 16 in western Monroe County for fear the vehicle carried explosives turned out to be packed with energy drinks, an official said early today. Authorities reopened Hwy. 16 early today after an examination of the semi's trailer revealed only pallets of Monster beverage, Monroe County Sheriff Dennis Pedersen said. Authorities now believe the incident might have been a combination of a language barrier and that the driver "seemed quite sleep-deprived," Pedersen said. Authorities had evacuated homes and brought in a bomb squad Thursday after the truck led the Wisconsin State Patrol on a 23-mile chase through Monroe County. The semi finally came to a halt about 3 p.m. on Hwy. 16 near the Equity Co-op Livestock Sales business near Hammer Road west of Sparta after driving over tire spikes law enforcement had laid in the road, according to the state patrol. A bomb detection dog then indicated the trailer might contain explosive materials, prompting the call to the Dane County bomb squad in Madison, Pedersen said. The squad used a robot to make an initial inspection, then sent two men in protective gear to check the trailer, Pedersen said. "The good news is there's nothing in there except legitimate cargo," Pedersen said. The dog might have reacted to residue from earlier cargo, the sheriff said. "From my perspective, it's a long night, it's an expensive night, but the outcome is actually preferred," Pedersen said. A state trooper had tried to stop the 18-wheel semi about 2:20 p.m. Thursday after seeing it driving erratically while westbound on Hwy. 12 near Oakdale, said patrol Sgt. Jeramy Foster. The truck sped through Tomah on Hwy. 16 and continued west even when another patrol car got in front of the vehicle, Foster said. That trooper eventually dropped behind the semi when it seemed it might try to ram the patrol car. The La Crosse County Sheriff's Department's armored Bearcat vehicle and the Monroe County Tactical Team were called in while several law enforcement agencies blocked off traffic on Hwy. 16 from north of Rockland to Sparta. The driver, who reportedly does not speak English, at first refused to get out of the cab after stopping, then emerged carrying a package and was shot with non-lethal rounds, Foster said. He dropped the package, which did not have anything suspicious, Pedersen said. After being shot, the driver returned to the truck but eventually was coaxed out by a team in the Bearcat and an interpreter from Fort McCoy, Foster said. The non-lethal rounds left driver's side window and mirror broken on the truck. The driver, identified by the State Patrol as 44-year-old Beant Singh Gill of British Columbia, Canada, was taken to the Sparta hospital for evaluations before being transferred to the Monroe County Jail on charges of reckless driving and fleeing an officer, Pedersen said. He could face additional charges. Why it took three sets of road spikes to get Gill to stop the truck remains "a mystery," Pedersen said. Gill is a Sikh who speaks Punjabi, which made him difficult to understand or interpret, even though a translator was brought in from nearby Fort McCoy, the sheriff said. Sikhs are followers of Sikhism, a religion founded in the Punjab region of northern India, according to the website www.allaboutsikhs.com. Gill at first answered yes when asked if he was carrying anything potentially harmful but later didn't remember saying that, Pedersen said. "It's a very strange situation," Pedersen said. Gill apparently had picked up the cargo about 5:30 a.m. Thursday near the Twin Cities and was headed for Canada, but somehow got lost or disoriented, Pedersen said. "There's a lot of things that don't make sense to us," the sheriff said. The truck was registered to Puna Transport of Ontario, Canada. A man who identified himself as the owner of the business said, "This is all a misunderstanding" when contacted Thursday evening about Gill's arrest. He would not give his name, but said he'd spoken with police and "there are no problems" before hanging up. The Monroe County Sheriff's Department and State Patrol are heading the investigation, with assistance from Tomah and Sparta police departments, the La Crosse Sheriff's Department and the Dane County bomb squad. The FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also are involved, Pedersen said. |
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“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ~A.A. Milne | |
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| Mark | May 14 2010, 09:39 AM Post #2 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Sounds like a dog needs some serious re-training. Sheesh! |
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___.___ (_]===* o 0 When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells | |
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| brenda | May 14 2010, 04:10 PM Post #3 |
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The driver was tired? And he had a semi-load of what?
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“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ~A.A. Milne | |
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4:35 PM Jul 10