On April 29, 2025, at approximately 5:47 p.m., the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a farm accident at the location of 26338 County Road 201, North Fork Township. This location is approximately 4 miles northeast of the City of Brooten. The caller advised there was a male pinned underneath a large corn planter. When deputies arrived on scene the investigation determined that two males were working on a John Deere DB66 planter which was having hydraulic issues. One male, Eric Scott Segaar, 46, of Brooten, was underneath the planter when it is believed the hydraulic system failed, causing the planter to suddenly and unexpectedly lower to the ground. Segaar was pinned underneath the planter.
Segaar was freed from the planter and provided life saving measures by multiple emergency personnel on the scene but was pronounced deceased. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Brooten Fire Department, Brooten Ambulance, and Life Link Helicopter.