At about 6:09 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received a report of a crash with injuries near the intersection of County Road 10 and 360th Street, in Albany Township.
Initial dispatch information was that there had been a T-bone crash at this intersection, and one of the vehicles was smoking. It also was reported that one of the drivers had not exited their vehicle.
Stearns County deputies learned that a blue 2007 Ford Fusion driven by Hunter Johnson, 19 of Cold Spring, was -traveling eastbound on 360th Street when he ran the stop sign at 360th Street and County Road 10. Johnson stated his brakes failed and he could not stop. Johnson then struck a 2022 Jeep Cherokee driven by Leann Platz, 54 of Holdingford, as she was traveling northbound on County Road 10. The Jeep was struck on the driver’s side rear door causing the vehicle to launch into a field a few hundred yards northeast of the intersection. Platz was transported to Melrose Hospital for treatment of her injuries. Johnson was treated at the scene.
The Stearns County -Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Albany Police Department, Avon Police Department, Albany Fire Department, and Mayo Ambulance.
The crash remains under investigation.