High Speed Pursuit Leads to an Arrest
On Monday afternoon at 2:10, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center was notified of a pursuit initiated by the MN State Patrol. The suspect vehicle was northbound on MN Highway 22 just south of Litchfield. The MN State Patrol terminated the pursuit and the suspect was seen a short time later by Litchfield Police. Litchfield Police attempted to stop the suspect vehicle and another pursuit was initiated. A short time later Litchfield Police terminated the pursuit as well.
The suspect vehicle was spotted by a Meeker County Deputy who again initiated a pursuit when the driver took off. The vehicle left the city of Litchfield eastbound on 260th Street at a high rate of speed. A Pursuit Intervention Tactic (PIT) maneuver was initiated at the intersection of 260th Street and 650th Avenue. The vehicle went into the ditch but drove back out and continued south on 650th Avenue.
The driver made his way into the city of Darwin then went south on County Road 14 and eventually made his way to MN Highway 15. Deputies continued the pursuit as the driver fled north on MN Highway 15. As the vehicle entered Stearns County, a MN State Trooper was able to successfully deploy a tire deflation device. A Meeker County Deputy did another PIT maneuver to end the pursuit. The driver was taken into custody with no further incident.
The pursuit by the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office reached speeds of 100 miles per hour and traveled just over 30 miles. At one point the driver swerved at a deputy as the deputy tried to initiate a second PIT maneuver. The driver was identified as 20-year-old Hunter Wisch of rural Hillman, MN. Wisch was arrested for the pursuit and suspicion of driving under the influence.
Wisch was booked in the Meeker County Jail and is awaiting his initial court appearance. Wisch has a revoked driver’s license and pending charges in McLeod County for fleeing on foot, along with several gun and drug charges from an incident in Hutchinson in November of 2024. In addition to the MN State Patrol, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with the arrest.
