Impaired Driving Suspected in Deadly Crash of Rural Minnesota Fire Truck
A tragic accident occurred in west-central Minnesota on September 26, resulting in the death of one passenger and severe injuries to another. The driver of the fire truck, which crashed while returning from a local high school homecoming parade, is suspected of having been under the influence of alcohol. According to a search warrant filed in Yellow Medicine County District Court, first responders found several beer cans in the ditch where the Wood Lake Fire Department truck crashed.
Investigation and Casualties
Patrick Steven Remiger, 43, of Wood Lake, was identified as the passenger who died at the scene of the 6:30 p.m. crash. Remiger was found underneath the truck and was a retired firefighter, according to the Wood Lake Fire Department. The driver, believed to be Andrew Vanhecke, 37, of Wood Lake, was hospitalized after the crash, as was his 6-year-old son, Beaux Vanhecke. Authorities obtained a blood sample from Andrew Vanhecke at the Marshall hospital, and a blood-alcohol analysis by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is pending.
The initial investigation determined that the fire truck veered onto the shoulder, struck a mailbox, and overcorrected, rolling on the roadway several times before coming to rest in the ditch on the opposite side of the road. Remiger was ejected from the fire truck, and according to the Minnesota State Patrol, none of the occupants was wearing a seat belt, and no airbags deployed. Road conditions were reported as dry.
Search Warrants and Ongoing Investigation
No criminal charges had been filed as of Tuesday, and the search warrants were filed on September 30 and October 1. A search warrant request has also been filed in Lyon County, where the fire truck has been impounded, seeking data from the vehicle’s electronic control module. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are awaiting the results of the blood-alcohol analysis.
For more information on this incident, please visit Here
Image Source: www.twincities.com
