On September 4, 2026, at approximately 11:52 a.m., the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a motorcycle crash near the intersection of County Road 50 and Glenwood Road in Wakefield Township. The crash occurred approximately one and a half miles north of the City of Cold Spring.
The Cold Spring Police Department was the first agency to arrive at the scene. Responding officers located a 2008 Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle in the southbound ditch, along with a male who was also in the ditch. The male was not wearing a helmet. Life-saving measures were initiated at the scene; however, the male was pronounced deceased. The deceased was subsequently identified as Stephen Joseph Gretsch, 64, of Albany.
According to information gathered at the scene, Gretsch was traveling southbound on County Road 50 with two other motorcyclists. As the group entered the curve near Glenwood Road, Gretsch’s motorcycle continued straight and left the roadway, entering the southbound ditch. The motorcycle sustained extensive damage consistent with having rolled during the crash. A fiber-optic cable box and a utility pole were also struck and damaged. The crash remains under investigation by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office and alcohol is not believed to be a contributing factor.
Assisting agencies included the Cold Spring Police Department, Cold Spring Fire and Rescue, and Mayo Ambulance Service.
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