News Room Archive

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SOUTH DAKOTA HIGHWAY PATROL ROLL CALL
PERIOD ENDING 3/10/12

Fatalities	2	DUI Arrests	35
Injury Accidents	11	Felony DUI Arrests	5
Non-Injury Accidents	29	Misd. Warrants Served	21
Misd. Drug Arrests	36	Felony Warrants Served	0
Felony Drug Arrests	13	Other Felony Arrests	2
Overweight in excess of 5,000 lbs.	7	Drivers Placed Out-of-Service	29
Vehicles Placed Out-of-Service	37

ABERDEEN DISTRICT

March 4th:

Troopers Schroeder and Korbel responded to a one-vehicle, rollover crash southeast of Huron. The female driver lost control of her vehicle on a patch of slush. The vehicle entered the south ditch and rolled over. The driver and a passenger received serious but non-life-threatening injuries. They were transported by the Huron Ambulance to the Huron Regional Medical Center. The driver was cited for over driving road conditions. All three persons in the vehicle were cited for not wearing a seatbelt. The Beadle County Sheriff’s Office and South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks assisted at the scene.

Trooper Olerud assisted Sergeant Millard with teaching Drill and Ceremony to the Highway Patrol Recruit Class in Pierre.

Trooper Maunu investigated a semi crash on I-29. It appears that the crash occurred due to fog and icy road conditions. The jackknifed semi and trailer blocked both northbound lanes of traffic for approximately 40 minutes. Two towing services worked in cooperation to clear the roadway and prevent any further crashes from occurring. 

Trooper Maunu assisted a motorist who slid off the roadway into the median on I-29. He assisted the driver with a towing service. A status check for the Missouri-plated Cadillac revealed that the vehicle was reported stolen from the driver’s parents in Missouri. The 20-year-old driver was taken into custody and arrested for possession of stolen property and possession of marijuana.

March 6th:

Trooper Norman stopped a vehicle for a moving violation in rural Roberts County.  An investigation revealed that a passenger had two active arrest warrants for failure to pay fines. Trooper Norman took the subject into custody.  A subsequent search conducted at the jail revealed marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the subject’s possession. The subject was charged accordingly.

Trooper Mohrmann investigated a non-injury crash south of Watertown on I-29.  The driver of a southbound vehicle attempted to change lanes and nearly struck another southbound vehicle. The driver of the second southbound vehicle swerved to avoid a crash and his vehicle went into the ditch.

March 7th:

Trooper Norman stopped a vehicle for two child restraint violations on SD 10. An investigation revealed that the female driver had an active warrant issued from Roberts County for failure to pay fines. The female driver was arrested and taken to the Roberts County Jail.  She was charged accordingly.

March 8th:

Trooper Pioske stopped a vehicle for a moving violation in Day County. An investigation revealed an active arrest warrant issued from Union County for failure to pay a fine. The male subject was taken into custody without incident.

March 9th:

Trooper Serr investigated an injury crash five miles north of Aberdeen on US 281. A southbound vehicle struck a deer and the airbag deployed causing minor injuries to the driver.  An unrestrained backseat passenger also received minor injuries.

The Huron Squad conducted a sobriety checkpoint in Beadle County.

Sergeant Walters responded to the Driver Exam station regarding an individual who was wanted on a Walworth County warrant. The individual posted bond.

March 10th:

Trooper Schroeder and Sergeant Krumm responded to an ATV injury crash on a gravel road northwest of Clark. The eastbound rider failed to negotiate a curve causing the ATV to go onto the grass shoulder of the north ditch. When the driver attempted to correct the steering, the ATV rolled over. The rider was thrown from the ATV and came to rest in the roadway. He was not wearing a helmet and received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.  He was transported by the Clark County Ambulance to Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown. He was arrested for DUI. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Clark Fire and Rescue assisted at the scene.

Trooper Norman stopped a vehicle for an improper turn violation on SD106 in Roberts County.  An investigation revealed that the driver had a suspended driver license.  The female passenger had a valid warrant issued from Codington County for petty theft. The female was taken into custody for the warrant.

Trooper Snyder responded to a possible intoxicated driver involved in domestic assault that occurred inside a vehicle at a Mobridge gas station. Trooper Snyder located the vehicle and detected the odor of alcohol and marijuana on the driver. An investigation was conducted and the driver was placed under arrest for DUI.

SIOUX FALLS DISTRICT

March 4th:

Six members of the Chamberlain and Mitchell Squads conducted a saturation patrol along I-90 in Brule and Aurora Counties.

Trooper Husby stopped a motorist for a moving violation on SD 50 near Vermillion. During the course of the stop, he noticed the strong odor of burnt marijuana. Following an investigation, a search revealed marijuana and a marijuana pipe. The driver was arrested for DUI marijuana.               

March 5th:

Troopers Biehl and Welter gave a safety talk and a police service dog demonstration to the students at the Gregory County Dare Graduation.  The information presented was well received.  Police Service Dog Zara was the star of the evening.

March 6th:

Trooper Welter gave a safety presentation regarding the effects of drugs to the Health Class students at Gregory High School.  The students were very interested and asked many good questions.

March 8th:

Trooper Biehl assisted Trooper Welter with a stop on I-90 near Chamberlain.  He arrested a female subject for possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and clonazepam.

March 10th:

Trooper Nelson was called to a fatal crash approximately three miles south of Stickney on US 281.  The driver of a southbound Geo Tracker drifted through the northbound traffic lane and onto the east shoulder of the road.  He then overcorrected and crossed both lanes of travel.  The vehicle entered the west ditch and rolled over 1 ½ times coming to rest in a field.  The driver was ejected from the vehicle and received fatal injuries.  He was not wearing a seatbelt.

Trooper Eberhart responded to a rollover crash four miles east of Vermillion on SD 50.  A 37-year-old westbound female driver fell asleep at the wheel. The vehicle drifted towards the right and struck a delineator post. The driver then over-corrected to the left causing the vehicle to skid across both westbound lanes and enter the center median where it rolled onto its top. When Trooper Eberhart arrived, the driver and her 15-year-old daughter could not get out of the vehicle. He broke out a passenger side window and the occupants climbed out from the vehicle. Both occupants were wearing seatbelts and suffered only minor injuries.                               

RAPID CITY DISTRICT

March 5th:

Trooper Tennyson responded to a one-vehicle crash west of Hill City on Deerfield Road. A vehicle struck a construction sign, left the road, and traveled through a wooden fence. The female driver tried to leave the scene but was detained by medical personnel until law enforcement arrived. The female driver was charged accordingly.

 

Trooper Lyons assisted the Belle Fourche Police Department with an investigation regarding a driver who had been traveling the wrong way on US 85.  The Wyoming male was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes and was stopped near Belle Fourche. The driver was charged accordingly.

March 6th:

Trooper Bader stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation east of Rapid City on I-90. Following an investigation, Trooper Bader deployed Police Service Dog Robby.  A subsequent search revealed 29 pounds of marijuana. The driver was arrested and charged accordingly.

Trooper Stern assisted a Game, Fish, and Parks Officer with a vehicle stop east of Rapid City. The officer initiated the stop after he witnessed a passenger trying to jump from the moving vehicle. An investigation revealed that the male driver was trying to scare his wife and had been assaulting her while traveling down the road. The male was charged accordingly.

March 7th:

Trooper Rybak gave presentations to math students at Rapid City Stevens High School He showed how math is used in traffic crash reconstruction.

Trooper Deuter was called to a fire in Ziebach County on SD 34.  The driver of a tractor trailer hauling hay noticed smoke coming from his load.  He unhooked the trailer and then managed to roll the two bales that were on fire into the ditch.  The Faith Fire Department responded and put out the four acre ditch fire. The driver had been drinking and was charged with commercial DUI.  The Faith Police Department also responded.

March 8th:

Trooper Oxner stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation east of Box Elder on I-90. Following an investigation, he deployed Police Service Dog Koda.  A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed 25 pounds of marijuana. The driver was charged accordingly.

March 9th:

Troopers Albertson and Barrick responded to a grass fire on SD 79 near Fairburn. The fire was caused by a skid loader working at the base of a cellular tower and burned approximately three acres. The Custer County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. Volunteer fire departments from Fairburn, Buffalo Gap, Hermosa, and Hot Springs responded to the scene.

Rapid City Troopers assisted the Rapid City Police Department and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office with traffic control during a wild land fire in Rapid City. The fire burned approximately 150 acres before being contained. Fortunately, no homes were lost.

The Rapid City B Squad, Colonel Price, and the Rapid City Police Department held a sobriety checkpoint in Pennington County.  

March 10th:

Trooper Hamar responded to a one-vehicle rollover 20 miles north of Cottonwood on Grindstone Road. The driver lost control of the vehicle causing it to enter ditch and roll over. The vehicle was not equipped with seatbelts and all three occupants were ejected. The driver and the front seat passenger received minor injuries. The rear seat passenger received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.       

A grass fire burned approximately 1,500 to 2,000 acres along SD 20 approximately eight miles east of Buffalo.  The Harding County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the fire.

MOTOR CARRIER

March 2nd:

 

Trooper Torok responded to an injury crash near the Sioux Falls Port of Entry on I-90.  The driver received only minor injuries.  She stated that she fell asleep at the wheel.

March 4th:

 

Trooper Berndt weighed a Minnesota semi loaded with cattle at the Frederick Scale. It was determined that the vehicle was 10,820 pounds overweight.

Trooper Berndt weighed a North Dakota semi loaded with cattle at the Frederick Scale.  It was discovered that the vehicle was 5,660 pounds overweight.

March 5th:

 

Inspector Taylor weighed a SD 4-axle truck at the Tilford Port of Entry. He found it to be 5,150 pounds overweight.

Trooper Heuertz stopped a straight truck for bypassing the Jefferson Port of Entry. Following an investigation, a search revealed marijuana.  The driver was charged accordingly.

March 6th:

Trooper Berndt stopped a semi hauling distiller’s grain north of Hoven on SD 47. The truck was weighed and found to be 5,200 pounds overweight.

March 7th:

Trooper Heuertz assisted an Elk Point Police Officer on a traffic stop in Elk Point. The officer suspected that the driver might be under the influence of a drug. Trooper Heuertz arrived on scene and deployed Police Service Dog Zeke. A subsequent search revealed numerous packages of synthetic marijuana and other drug paraphernalia. The driver was arrested for DUI drugs and possession of a controlled substance.

Jefferson Port of Entry Inspector Kribell conducted a driver/paperwork safety inspection on a Georgia driver. He discovered that the driver had an active warrant issued from Georgia for a failure to appear on a traffic violation.

March 8th:

Trooper Berndt stopped a carrier hauling dirt on a road posted for 6 tons in Walworth County. The truck was weighed and found to be 6,300 pounds overweight.

Inspector Bakke weighed a carrier hauling corn on a county road posted for 7 tons in Clark County. The truck was weighed and found to be 6,300 pounds overweight. The driver was issued a citation.

Inspector Rutz weighed a 5-axle Texas truck at the Tilford Port of Entry. He discovered the vehicle was 8,020 pounds overweight on axles 4-5.

March 9th:

Inspector Fischer and Inspector Lentz performed a safety presentation for employees of Vander Waal Contracting.  Topics discussed were inspections, legal size/weight, and license laws. 

March 10th:

Trooper Heuertz stopped a vehicle for multiple traffic violations in Vermillion. Upon approaching the vehicle, he detected the strong odor of marijuana. An investigation revealed that the driver had just smoked marijuana in the car and had thrown out the remaining marijuana prior to the traffic stop.  Field sobriety tests were conducted and the driver was arrested for DUI drugs. A drug recognition evaluation was conducted at the jail and Trooper Heuertz determined that the driver was under the influence of cannabis.  The driver was charged with DUI and ingestion.