WINONA, Minn. – A police car chase that began on the Interstate Bridge ended up in a bitter cold arrest on Latsch Island. Police offered this chronology:
> A vehicle struck a guardrail on the bridge and drove on.
> Police gave chase but backed off because of slippery roads.
> The vehicle was found abandoned the other side of the bridge on Latsch Island.
> Officers followed footprints in the snow from the passenger side and found the person hiding behind a tree.
> Officers also found footprints from the driver side but lost track in the blowing snow.
> Concerned about the driver in the bitter cold, officers asked the State Patrol whether a helicopter search was possible. Answer: Sorry, the weather too severe. What about the sheriff’s drone? Same: Visibility too limited, winds too harsh.
> The officers parked nearby, lights out, and hoped the driver would return. He did — obviously drunk, officers said. He was snow-covered and wearing only one shoe.
> The driver was taken to the hospital.
This all started on the bridge about 1:15 a.m. with wind chills in the minus-20s and ended on Latsch Island about 3:25.