Man Arrested After Motorists Spot Children Waving for Help from Camper on Wisconsin Highway, Cops Say

A man in Wisconsin has been arrested after police say drivers reported seeing children waving for help from inside a camper being hauled along a highway.

On July 24, troopers started receiving calls from motorists concerned about multiple children being spotted in the windows of a fifth-wheel camper signaling for help, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Officials said a pickup truck was hauling the RV and “the children appeared to be in distress.”

Troopers were able to locate the camper on the highway and conducted a “high-risk stop” in Madison.

Authorities spoke with the driver of the truck, later identified as a 57-year-old Illinois resident, and carried out a field sobriety test that showed he was intoxicated.

Troopers also checked the camper he was hauling and found nine children inside, all under the age of 16, authorities said.

State troopers said the children in the fifth-wheel camper knew the driver and were safely reunited with family. However, investigators didn’t say how the kids knew the man.

It’s also unclear why the man was with the children or where he was taking them.

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The man was arrested and charged with operating while under the influence with passengers under 16 years of age, officials said. He was booked into the Sauk County jail.

He is also facing charges that originated in Lake Delton, which is about 50 miles northwest of Madison, according to officials.

The investigation into the case is ongoing.