Overview
- Trooper Brad Ritger was severely injured after falling from a bridge on I-94 in Dunn County Monday while he deployed a tire deflation device during a traffic pursuit.
- Life-saving measures, including CPR, were performed at the scene and Ritger was taken to a nearby medical facility where he remains hospitalized for treatment.
- The pursued vehicle struck the tire deflation device, continued on flat tires, stopped in the median shoulder, and the driver was arrested after a high-risk traffic stop.
- The interstate was closed for several hours that morning, and the Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation, the Dunn County Sheriff's Office, and the Wisconsin State Patrol are investigating.
- Ritger has served five years with the Wisconsin State Patrol and the incident highlights known hazards of deploying spike strips on bridges, a factor likely to shape agency reviews and policy decisions.