Alcohol Suspected in Stearns County Crash that Injured Driver

SAUK CENTRE TOWNSHIP (WJON News) -- Authorities believe alcohol was a factor in a Sunday night crash near Sauk Centre.

The Stearns County Sheriff's Office got a call just after 11:30 p.m. A passerby reported a crash in the cemetery near the T-intersection of County Road 17 and County Road 185 in Sauk Centre Township.

A Minnesota State Trooper and Sauk Centre Police Officer were first to respond to the scene.

The preliminary investigation determined 52-year-old Steven Sawatzky of Grand Forks, North Dakota was eastbound on County Road 17 and failed to stop at the intersection with County Road 185.

Sawatzky crossed the road, struck a chain link fence, and then some grave markers before coming to a rest.

Sawatzky was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries and later booked into the Stearns County Jail on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

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Filed Under: stearns county sheriff's office

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