On August 28, 2026, at 5:48 a.m., the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center received a call reporting a vehicle crash with injuries near the address of 19601 County Road 40 in Farming Township.
The caller reported he had gone into the ditch and crashed causing the airbags of the vehicle to deploy. Deputies responded to the scene where the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was out of the vehicle and sitting near the shoulder of the roadway. The driver, identified as Benjamin McChesney, 19, of Melrose, reported he had fallen asleep while driving eastbound on County Road 40. The vehicle crossed over the west bound lane of traffic, entered the ditch, struck a field approach, re-entered the ditch on the other side, and rolled at least one time. The vehicle came to a rest on its wheels in the north ditch on County Road 40. McChesney was wearing his seatbelt and suffered minor, non-life-threatening injuries. McChesney was transported by Mayo Ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment. Alcohol is not considered to be a factor in the crash.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on the scene by Avon Fire and Rescue and Mayo Ambulance Service.
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