The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office received a call at 11:20 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, that there had been a vehicle crash with injuries at the intersection of 400th Street and 215th Avenue in Krain Township, about 1.5 miles west of County Road 10. The caller was the driver of the 2010 Ford F-150 crew cab pickup owned by Russell and Paula Klaphake of Avon. The driver was Zachary Klaphake, 17 of Avon. He was westbound on 400th Street when he failed to negotiate the curve, left the road, and struck a large tree head-on. The initial report was one occupant had minor injuries, one had a head injury, two were semi-conscious, and the sole female occupant had an injured, possibly broken, leg.
Adam Young, 17 of Albany, was the front-seat passenger. Back-seat passengers were Nathan Tamm, 18 of Albany (behind the driver), Alayna Kolb, 16 of Albany, Nathan Schmidt, 18 of Albany, and Jacob Burg, 15 of Avon. It is believed that Klaphake, Young, and Tamm were wearing their seat belts and that the other occupants were unrestrained. Air bags deployed on impact, and the truck is considered to be totaled as a result of the crash.
Schmidt was airlifted from the crash scene by North Air Ambulance to North Memorial Hospital. Young was taken to St. Cloud Hospital by Gold Cross Ambulance and then airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center. As of Sunday evening, Nov. 11, both were in critical but stable condition.
Klaphake, Tamm, Kolb, and Burg were treated at the St. Cloud Hospital for their injuries and, as of Saturday evening, they had been treated and released.
Investigation of the crash provided evidence that the driver, Klaphake, had been consuming alcoholic beverages. He was asked to submit to a preliminary breath test which revealed the presence of alcohol. A warrant was obtained for a blood sample from Klaphake and further alcohol testing will be done at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Lab in St. Paul.
The Minnesota State Patrol is conducting a reconstruction of the accident scene. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be referred to the Stearns County Attorney’s Office for consideration of charges.
Several Stearns County deputies responded to the scene of the crash along with the Holdingford Fire Department, Gold Cross Ambulance, the Minnesota State Patrol, and a helicopter from North Air Ambulance.