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The Rock County Sheriff’s Office is short two squad cars after a crash last week involving two deputy drivers.
According to the accident report filed by Minnesota State Patrol, deputies Lee Christians and Jonathon Stearns were dispatched to rural Beaver Creek Monday night, April 5, in response to a domestic disturbance.
Stearns, in the lead car, was traveling west on County Road 4 and slowed down to turn left on 95th Street when the Christians squad struck the Stearns squad in the front driver’s side door.
Christians reportedly told accident investigators he wasn’t expecting Stearns to turn at that intersection and didn’t notice until it was too late.
The report states that Stearns had signaled the turn and was wearing his seatbelt. He suffered no apparent injuries.
The report also states that Christians was unbelted and was taken to the hospital by ambulance to be treated and released. He returned to work Wednesday.
Both squads were damaged extensively and were towed to Luverne where an insurance adjuster examined them Thursday, April 8.
The 2020 Ford Explorers are valued at $36,000 (minus law enforcement equipment) and are insured by the Minnesota Counties Insurance Trust.
They are leased through the State of Minnesota fleet services and have two replacement squad cars available, if insurance deems them totaled.
Regardless, it will be another two weeks before the county squad fleet is back to full capacity.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the initial emergency resolved on its own when the alleged assailant left the premises and was later arrested for DWI in Luverne.
Verbrugge said the crash was unfortunate, but he’s grateful no one was seriously injured and that the victim of the initial emergency was unharmed.