Driver arrested for fifth drunken offense after hit-and-run on I-39

Metro Wire Employees

STEVENS POINT – A 43-year-old Waupaca man was arrested Saturday night on his fifth offense of driving under the influence following a hit-and-run on I-39 near the Stanley Street overpass.

The Wisconsin State Patrol's Wausau Post reported that a vehicle struck a median barrier on I-39 and fled the scene around 7 p.m. The vehicle continued north on I-39 and was stopped by a trooper near the intersection of I-39 and US Highway 10.

When the officer stopped the vehicle, he noticed signs of impairment in the driver, Shaun M. Novakavich. Standardized sobriety tests were administered, which led to Novakavich's arrest for driving under the influence and failure to report an accident involving property damage to police.

Novakavich is also being held in the Portage County Jail on a warrant from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections' Parole Division.