FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A woman who allegedly led police on a chase which reached 130 mph before it ended in a field pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect Monday.
Jenna Burmeister, 28, also waived a preliminary hearing Monday on counts of eluding an officer, recklessly endangering safety and resisting for the Jan. 28 escapade, court records show.
The next court date was not immediately available.
The so-called insanity plea is a claim by the defense that she suffers from a mental disease and was unable to discern right from wrong, and unable to have her actions comply with the law.
If the case would go to trial, a jury would first determine if Burmeister is guilty or innocent of the crimes. If convicted, the same jury would hear the second phase of the trial, where the panel would determine if she would be held criminally responsible for her actions. If she is, she would face prison. If not, she would be committed to a mental health facility.
The chase started around 2:20 a.m. Jan. 28, when the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed in Winnebago County. The vehicle was last seen exiting I-41 southbound onto State Highway 26.
A sheriff’s deputy initially saw the vehicle on State Highway 26 near Fremont Road and obtained a radar speed reading of approximately 130 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone. The deputy activated their emergency lights and siren in an attempt to get the vehicle to stop, but it did not.
The vehicle continued at a high rate of speed southbound on State Highway 26, entering the village of Rosendale at speeds exceeding 100 mph and passing vehicles on the left.
After exiting Rosendale, the suspect vehicle continued traveling at speeds in excess of 130 mph. Another deputy deployed tire deflation devices on State Highway 26 near County Highway TC, which were successfully deployed as the suspect vehicle passed.
The suspect vehicle continued southbound on State Highway 26 and briefly came to a stop near State Highway 151. Deputies issued commands to the driver, but the vehicle drove off again, turning east onto Frontage Road at the end of State Highway 26. Due to the tire deflation device, the vehicle lost a tire, significantly reducing its speed.
Deputies continued the pursuit to the dead end of Frontage Road, where the suspect vehicle entered a farm access road and began driving through a farm field in an attempt to continue fleeing.
As the suspect vehicle approached a residential neighborhood, deputies determined that a moving roadblock technique was necessary to put a stop to the pursuit and protect public safety. A deputy successfully caused the vehicle to lose traction and spin, redirecting it away from a residence.
The driver continued to drive within the field until additional deputies arrived and successfully boxed in the vehicle.
