On October 9, 2023, at approximately 3:58 p.m., the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call from a cell phone. The telecommunicator was able to hear someone on the call but was not able to understand what was being said. The call was mapped via GPS and found to be near 355th Avenue and the Wobegon Trail in Melrose Township, west of the City of Melrose.
The Emergency Communications Center worked with responding deputies and officers to locate the source of the call. GPS coordinates were continually monitored. The line was open and responding deputies utilized their sirens to help determine the exact location.
After several minutes searching, deputies and officers were able to locate a crash scene and an adult female that had sustained serious injuries. The female was identified as Katie Llewellyn, 38, of Melrose. Llewellyn succumbed to injuries and died at the scene.
The initial investigation determined that Llewellyn was operating a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu and had been traveling southbound on County Road 185. Llewellyn crossed County Road 65 and continued to travel southbound on 355th Avenue. The vehicle advanced into a wooded area at the dead end of 355th Avenue and struck a tree. Llewellyn was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on scene by the Minnesota State Patrol, Melrose Police Department, Melrose Ambulance, and the Melrose Fire Department. The crash remains under investigation.
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