Man flips car during diabetic episode

A New Berlin man suffering from diabetes-related complications led police on a high-speed chase through Wauwatosa and crashed on a residential lawn last week.

According to police:

An officer saw a car that was not slowing as it approached a stop sign at 70th and Lloyd streets at 5:39 p.m. May 9. It came to an abrupt stop halfway through the intersection, then accelerated and continued. The officer followed as the vehicle sped into oncoming traffic, nearly struck vehicles and ran several stop signs.

At 74th Street, the vehicle mounted the curb and became airborne, vaulting about 5 feet into the air and striking street signs before landing on a lawn and rolling over.

The 57-year-old driver was not moving but he was breathing. Paramedics noticed an empty pill bottle on his lap and an insulin pump connected to his body. He had bitten his tongue, which was bleeding. His blood-sugar level was extremely low.

While he was getting checked out at Froedtert Hospital, his wife told officers he had been driving around and not recalling where he had been for the past few weeks. He did not remember going to work that morning or getting into the accident.

He was advised not to drive until he could meet with a doctor and get better control over his diabetes.