This vehicle, reported to be a white Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Eric Welch, struck a parked vehicle late Friday night at approximately 11:45 p.m. in the 600 block of Prospect St. in Merrill. Witnesses say speed and alcohol were both factors in the crash, and Haight was taken into custody by Merrill Police Officers after he failed on-site sobriety tests. The Merrill Police Department confirmed he was arrested for operating while intoxicated (third offense) and cited for operating with a suspended driver’s license and lack of motor vehicle insurance.
Dawn Ziegel, property owner where the vehicle came to rest, said she and her adult son were home watching a movie when the crash occurred. “Our house shook when he hit,” she said.
Eight months ago Ziegel was also startled by a vehicle in her yard in the middle of the night. On that occasion, the incident involved a driver running from the police and abandoning his vehicle in front of her home and taking off on foot and a police officer giving chase through her backyard.
Dawn Ziegel photo.