On February 23, 2025, at approximately 11:31 p.m. the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center received a call reporting a crash in the cemetery near the T intersection of Co. Rd. 17 and Co. Rd. 185 in Sauk Centre Township. The passerby who was calling reported there were minor injuries. A trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol and an officer from the Sauk Centre Police Department responded first to the scene. Subsequent investigation determined that Steven Sawatzky, 52, of Grand Forks, ND, was driving his 2014 Chevrolet Silverado eastbound on Co. Rd. 17. He failed to stop at the stop sign at Co. Rd. 185, crossed the road, and entered the cemetery. He struck a chain link fence and several grave markers before coming to a stop. The Sauk Centre Ambulance responded to the scene and Sawatzky was transported to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. He was later arrested and transported to the Stearns County Jail and booked on charges of 4th degree driving while intoxicated. Alcohol was a factor in this crash.
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