At about 10:31 a.m. Friday, July 21, the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received the report of a one-vehicle crash on 248th Avenue, just north of County Road 17, in Krain Township. This location is about seven miles west of Holdingford.
It was reported that the driver and passenger were both trapped inside the vehicle. When first responders arrived on the scene, they found a heavily damaged 2007 Chevrolet Impala on its side resting against a tree. Freeport Fire and Rescue performed extraction operations to remove both occupants. The passenger Ethan Gerads, 16 of Albany, was pronounced deceased on the scene. The driver, Mason Geise, 15 of Freeport, was transported to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Geise reported he had been traveling southbound on 248th Avenue when he lost control of the vehicle, over-corrected in trying to regain control, went into the ditch, rolled over, and came to rest against the tree. Neither Geise nor Gerads were restrained in the vehicle.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Freeport Fire and Rescue, Melrose Ambulance, North Air Care, Life Link, Minnesota State Patrol, Centre Towing, and Collins Brothers Towing.
The Minnesota State Patrol is conducting an accident reconstruction and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.