DEKORRA, Wis. (WMTV) – A thermal drone searching for a suspect after a high-speed UTV chase in Columbia County spotted something deputies weren’t expecting: a bear roaming through the same field where crews were looking for the driver.
The search followed a pursuit Friday night that neighbors say unfolded just outside their homes.
Courtney Hoffmann said she was driving home when a neighbor called to warn her about what was happening near her property.
“I was driving home from Dane County Airport and received a call from a neighbor asking if anybody was home at our house, that there was the high-speed chase with the Columbia County Sheriff,” Hoffmann said. A Can-Am had crashed on the property right behind us and that the person must have been on foot.”
According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the pursuit began just before 10 p.m. Friday after a deputy attempted to stop a speeding UTV on County Highway V near Voss Road.
Investigators say 21-year-old Brayden Moen of Rio fled, reaching speeds of more than 90 mph before driving through corn and hay fields, crashing down an embankment and fleeing on foot.
Brayden P. Moen(Columbia County Sheriff’s Office)
Another property owner showed WMTV where the UTV ultimately came to rest after uprooting a tree before stopping.
(WMTV)
Deputies launched an overnight search using a thermal drone. According to the sheriff’s office, the drone also spotted a bear roaming through the same field where deputies were searching for Moen.
(The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office)
Hoffmann said that detail was unexpected.
“I was surprised to hear that there are bear in the area. I had no idea, you know, wolves, coyotes, even bobcats, but I had not heard of any bear,” she said.
Lt. Jake Holsclaw, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ off-highway vehicle administrator, said UTVs are increasingly common on Wisconsin roadways where local ordinances allow them, but they don’t handle the same as passenger vehicles.
“When you’re driving a machine like that with lower pressure tires, they tend to be grippier on paved surfaces like concrete or asphalt. And so really anticipating your stops, anticipating your turns more ahead of time, that’s important.”
He encouraged riders to remember that operating a UTV safely requires planning and responsible decision-making.
“We want people to enjoy the sport. We have some of the best routes and trails in the country. I truly believe that. And as long as folks do it real safe, you can come back the next day and the next week and do it again.”
Deputies found and arrested Moen Saturday morning.
Moen is charged with fleeing or eluding an officer, resisting or obstructing an officer and criminal damage to property. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office says he also received numerous traffic citations.
The charges are allegations, and Moen is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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