An inebriated driver stole a semitrailer cab and led authorities on a predawn high-speed chase near Menomonie, Wis., on Saturday before crashing into a tree, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.

The vehicle, owned by Breakthru Beverage Minnesota Wine and Spirits LLC in St. Paul, might have seemed a tempting target. Yet it lacked a crucial component: the trailer that would, presumably, have been full of wine and spirits.

At about 4:35 a.m., a Wisconsin state trooper saw the cab eastbound on Interstate 94 in Dunn County with sparks coming from beneath the vehicle, as if something were being dragged. The trooper tried to stop the vehicle, but it exited the highway, and then accelerated to 80 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone.

A pursuit ensued with speeds up to 90 mph before the driver lost control and crashed, the vehicle coming to rest on its roof in some trees, the patrol said.

The driver, a man from Sarasota, Fla., was taken to a hospital and treated for minor injuries. He was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, fleeing and operating a vehicle without the owner's consent.

The beverage company was not aware the vehicle had been stolen.