News Room

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SOUTH DAKOTA HIGHWAY PATROL ROLL CALL
PERIOD ENDING 2/4/12

Fatalities	1	DUI Arrests	43
Injury Accidents	13	Felony DUI Arrests	4
Non-Injury Accidents	27	Misd. Warrants Served	26
Misd. Drug Arrests	34	Felony Warrants Served	2
Felony Drug Arrests	8	Other Felony Arrests	1
Overweight in excess of 5,000 lbs.	2	Drivers Placed Out-of-Service	27
Vehicles Placed Out-of-Service	38

ABERDEEN DISTRICT

January 29th:

Trooper Lindner stopped a vehicle for a moving violation in Huron.  He detected the odor of burnt marijuana on the male driver.  Following an investigation, a search revealed that the driver had marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his possession.   He was charged accordingly.

January 30th:

Sergeants Meland and Schutt responded to a one-vehicle, injury crash just west of Watertown on SD 20. A driver lost control of a straight truck causing it to roll onto its side. The driver was treated for minor injuries and issued a citation for careless driving.

January 31st:

Trooper Korbel stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation on US 281 in Redfield. He detected the odor of burnt marijuana on the male driver.  Following an investigation, a search of the vehicle revealed marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The driver was taken into custody and charged accordingly.

Sergeant Sorensen stopped a vehicle for speeding west of Hayes on US 14.  An investigation revealed that the driver had a warrant issued from Potter County for failure to pay fines. The warrant was served and bond was collected.

February 1st:

Trooper Nordquist stopped a vehicle for a moving violation in Huron.  Following an investigation, he arrested the male driver for DUI.  A search revealed marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and Alprazolam pills.

February 2nd:

Trooper Snyder responded to a two-vehicle, fatal crash six miles east of Herreid. The driver of a northbound vehicle failed to stop at an intersection and was struck by a westbound vehicle. Both vehicles became engulfed in flames.  The driver of the northbound vehicle received fatal injuries. The driver of the westbound vehicle was transported to Mobridge Regional Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Herreid Fire Department, and Campbell County Ambulance assisted at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.

Trooper Pioske responded to a reported intoxicated female pedestrian. He made contact with the pedestrian and learned that she had an active warrant for her arrest. The female was taken into custody and transported to the Day County Sheriff’s Office.

Trooper Tedder stopped a vehicle for traveling 103 mph in a 70 mph zone.

February 3rd:

Sergeant Sorensen stopped a vehicle for a moving violation west of Fort Pierre on US 14. He detected the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle and observed ashes on the driver’s pants.  Following an investigation, a search of the vehicle revealed marijuana. It was also discovered that the driver had a warrant issued from Hughes County for failure to pay fines. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to the Hughes County Jail.

Trooper Pioske stopped a vehicle for speeding near Peever. A routine driver license check revealed an active warrant for the driver. The driver was taken into custody.  After Trooper Pioske left the jail, he stopped another vehicle for speeding. A routine driver license check revealed two warrants from Roberts County and a warrant from Codington County. This driver was also taken into custody.

Trooper Tedder stopped a vehicle for traveling 54 mph in a 35 mph zone in Groton. During the stop, he noticed signs of impairment and conducted a DUI investigation. The driver was subsequently placed under arrest for DUI, open container in a motor vehicle, and speeding.

Trooper Serr stopped a vehicle for a moving violation on SD10 in Leola. He detected the odor of raw marijuana coming from the vehicle. Following an investigation, a search of the vehicle revealed marijuana and alcohol. The driver was placed under arrest for possession of marijuana and possession of alcohol by a minor.

Trooper Chamberlain stopped a vehicle for a moving violation on US 14 in Beadle County. A license status check on the driver revealed that his license was revoked. Following an investigation, a search revealed that the driver was in possession of a glass pipe containing white and burnt residue.  A male passenger had marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside a book bag.  A second passenger was taken into custody when it was discovered that he had a misdemeanor warrant issued from Minnesota. The three occupants were taken to the Beadle County Jail.  Field testing of the glass pipe residue tested positive for methamphetamine. The occupants were charged accordingly.

February 4th:

Trooper Chamberlain responded to a two-vehicle, injury crash ten miles south of Huron on SD 37.  A northbound sedan rear-ended a slower moving northbound pickup towing a trailer. The 53-year-old male driver of the sedan and his 75-year-old female passenger received minor injuries and were transported by ambulance to Avera McKennan Hospital. The driver of the pickup was not injured. The driver of the sedan was charged accordingly. All occupants were wearing seatbelts. The Beadle County Sheriff’s Office, Sanborn County Sheriff’s Office, Alpena Fire Department, and Woonsocket Ambulance assisted at the scene.   

SIOUX FALLS DISTRICT

January 29th:

Trooper Dubbelde responded to an injury crash three miles east of Garretson on 254th Street.  The driver of a westbound vehicle traveled off the road and entered the left ditch.  The vehicle struck an electrical box and tree, and then rolled over.  The driver received minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital.  The driver was wearing a seatbelt. 

January 31st:

Sergeant Knisley and Trooper Weibrecht were called to assist with searching for a murder suspect in Madison.

February 2nd:

Trooper Renteria investigated an injury crash four miles northwest of Springfield on 309th Street.  The driver of a westbound vehicle failed to negotiate a curve. The vehicle left the roadway, entered the north ditch, returned to the roadway, and rolled over. The female driver was transported by the Springfield Ambulance to Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton. She was wearing her seatbelt and received non-life-threatening injuries. Tyndall Police Department, Bon Homme County Sheriff’s Office, and Springfield Fire/Ambulance assisted at the scene.

Trooper Hanson stopped a vehicle for speeding in Gregory County.  An investigation revealed that the male driver had a warrant issued from Lawrence County for failure to appear on a distribution of marijuana charge.  The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

February 3rd:

Sioux Falls A Squad conducted a saturation patrol of Minnehaha and Lincoln County. 

Trooper Biehl and his police service dog were called to the Charles Mix County Jail to assist with a search of the jail.  The search revealed marijuana in the trash can located in a trusty’s cell.

Trooper Thompson responded to assist a motorist with a disabled vehicle west of Springfield on a county road.  Bon Homme County Dispatch had received a 911 call from a passing motorist who had stopped to help. The four occupants wanted a ride to Springfield, but the caller refused because they had been drinking. When Trooper Thompson arrived at the scene, he made contact with the driver and determined that he had been drinking alcohol. Following an investigation, the driver was arrested for DUI. Two passengers were arrested for underage consumption and the other passenger was arrested for an active Charles Mix County warrant.

February 4th:

Trooper Biehl stopped a vehicle for traveling 91 mph on I-90 in Lyman.  Following an investigation, the driver was arrested for DUI, speeding, and drug paraphernalia.  The highly intoxicated passenger had to be transported.

Trooper Goeman stopped a vehicle for a moving violation near Elk Point on I-29. Following an investigation, the driver was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Troopers Peterson and Podzimek attended the Mitchell Area Health Fair.  They demonstrated the rollover simulator to show the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt when involved in a crash.

 

Trooper Schmitz stopped a vehicle for speeding on I-29 near Brookings. Following an investigation, Police Service Dog Lennart was deployed.  A subsequent search revealed two glass pipes and three ounces of marijuana. The driver was taken into custody.

Trooper Gigov responded to assist a motorist south of Arlington. Upon arriving, he observed a vehicle with a flat tire in the ditch. The driver stated that she was trying to turn at the intersection and went into the ditch. Following an investigation, she was arrested for a 3rd offense DUI.

RAPID CITY DISTRICT

January 29th:

Trooper Hall investigated a minor-injury crash east of Rapid City on I-90. A witness observed a Mustang and Corvette racing at a high rate of speed. The driver of the Mustang lost control of his vehicle causing it to enter the ditch, vault across the service road, cross the railroad tracks, and come to rest in a field. Trooper Bock later located a Corvette that matched the description of the one involved in the race.

January 30th:

Trooper Lyons responded to a tractor-trailer rollover north of Newell on SD 168.  The trailer drifted into the ditch.  The load then shifted causing the tractor to roll onto its passenger side and partially block the roadway.

Trooper Stern investigated a hit-and-run crash east of Rapid City on SD 44. The driver ran a stop sign, collided into another vehicle, and left the scene. The victim gave Trooper Stern the license plate number of the vehicle and he made contact with the registered owner.  The owner stated that his son was driving the vehicle. The son was located and charged accordingly.

January 31st:

Trooper Oxner stopped a vehicle pulling a boat for a traffic violation on I-90 near Rapid City.  Following an investigation, Trooper Oxner deployed Police Service Dog Koda and a subsequent search revealed 20 pounds of marijuana. The driver was charged accordingly.

February 3rd:

Trooper Thomas investigated a two-vehicle crash at the junction of US 85 and SD 168 at Castle Rock.  The driver of a Chevy Impala made a left turn onto US 85 and was struck by a Dodge Neon. The area was foggy causing poor visibility at the time of the crash. The driver of the Dodge received minor injuries and was transported to the Spearfish Regional Hospital.  The driver of the Impala was cited accordingly.

Troopers Schopp, Kartak, and Hamar responded to an injury crash east of Wall on I-90. The female driver overcorrected after entering the median causing the vehicle to enter the ditch and roll. The driver was transported to Rapid City Regional Hospital with minor injuries.

Troopers Albertson and Heinrich assisted Oglala Sioux Tribe Officers with the investigation of a fatal crash at the junction of BIA Road 27 and BIA Road 28 near Wounded Knee. The driver and a passenger were fatally injured.  Three other passengers received life-threatening injuries.  

February 4th:

Troopers Bender and Mann assisted the Rapid City Police Department in responding to a male subject having trouble breathing.  It was discovered that he had consumed a large quantity of cough syrup.  He was taken by Rapid City Fire Department Ambulance to the Rapid City Regional Hospital.

Trooper Dale assisted the Rapid City Police Department in responding to reported shooting on West Rapid Street in Rapid City.  An individual was later taken into custody by the Rapid City Police Department.  Alcohol was involved and the shooting is still under investigation.  

The Rapid City A Squad held a sobriety checkpoint in Pennington County.  

Trooper Swets investigated a crash involving two eastbound vehicles on I-90 near Spearfish.  The driver of the first vehicle slowed down and started to turn around. The driver of the second vehicle moved into the left lane to pass and collided into the first vehicle.  The driver of the second vehicle received minor injuries and was taken to Spearfish Regional Hospital.  The driver of the first vehicle was cited accordingly. 

Trooper Kartak stopped a vehicle east of Martin on US 18. He was assisted by Trooper Ross who observed several marijuana cigarettes in the pocket of the passenger’s sweatshirt.  A subsequent search revealed drug paraphernalia, open containers, and weapons. The driver and passenger were arrested and charged accordingly.

MOTOR CARRIER

January 21st:

 

Trooper Berndt weighed a truck loaded with distiller’s grain in Edmunds County on US 12.  He found a number of overweight violations and issued the driver a citation for being 7,600 pounds overweight. The driver was escorted to a safe location to offload the overweight portion of the load.

January 29th:

Inspector Hostetter weighed a semi hauling anhydrous ammonia at the Frederick Scale on US 281. The truck was found to be 5,740 pounds overweight.

The Vermillion Mobile Team conducted a truck check at the Midway Scale in Yankton County. Inspector Hansen conducted a safety inspection on a Tennessee driver and discovered the driver had a warrant issued from Florida for grand theft.

January 30th:

Inspector Fischer conducted a safety inspection on a rendering truck at the Stanley Corner inspection site.  The vehicle was weighed and found to be 15,800 pounds overweight on the drive tandem axles.  An overweight citation was issued and the overweight portion was offloaded onto another vehicle. 

February 1st:

 

Motor Carrier Officer Wagoner stopped a vehicle for bypassing the Vivian scale site. He identified a log book problem and discovered that the driver had an active warrant issued from Roberts County for failure to pay a fine.

February 2nd:

Inspectors Schmidt and Thompson gave a safety presentation to employees of Larson Digging in Huron. Topics covered were legal size and weight, load securement, and hazardous materials.

Trooper Heuertz assisted the Vermillion Mobile Team at a truck check south of Beresford on I-29. He detected the strong odor of marijuana coming from the cab of the rental truck. Following an investigation, a search revealed marijuana and numerous pieces of drug paraphernalia. The driver was arrested for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and ingestion.

Inspector Scherschligt conducted an inspection on a Minnesota driver at the Jefferson Port of Entry.  He discovered that the driver had an active warrant issued from Minnehaha County. Trooper Boltjes arrived at the port and took the driver into custody. The driver’s company dispatched another driver to remove their vehicle combination from the port.

February 3rd:

 

Inspectors Dosch and Hostetter worked the Highway Patrol Booth at the Webster Farm Show.