Star Tribune
Man killed by passing driver while removing deer he hit from Dakota County road
A man was struck and killed along a rural Dakota County as he attempted to move the carcass of a deer he just hit from the roadway.
The man, 69, from Hastings, has stuck the deer about 6:35 a.m. Wednesday, as he was driving west on County Road 46 near General Sieben Drive in Marshan Township, the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office said.
Another driver who stopped at the scene to help saw an eastbound driver strike the man in the traffic lanes, a news release from Sheriff Joe Leko said.
Deputies arrived quickly and attempted life saving measures, but were unsuccessful, Leko said.
Authorities have not released the man’s name.
The driver who hit the victim was uninjured and has been cooperative with the ongoing investigation, Leko said.
A sand and gravel mining operation near Cottage Grove that hopes to continue digging along the Mississippi River is seeking approval to move each of its two quarries onto adjacent lands.
The moves by Holcim-MWR, Inc., formerly Aggregate Industries, would allow it to continue digging up limestone for another 20 to 25 years in an area where it’s been operating since the 1950s to produce sand and gravel for the construction of roads, bridges, commercial buildings, and homes. The company said in documents released Wednesday that its Larson Quarry and Nelson Mine otherwise have only a few years of life remaining.
Both plans are coming up for public review from Dec. 3 to Jan. 17.
The mines have co-existed with nearby residents for decades in Grey Cloud Island Township and Cottage Grove, sometimes causing controversy as homeowners complain about noise, traffic, and blasting operations. The Grey Cloud Island Township Board in 2022 denied two variances the company sought, saying town residents feared lower property values and increased noise and vibrations. Several months later, Holcim asked Cottage Grove to annex 120 acres of its property, a move that would have taken away Grey Cloud Island Township’s ability to regulate the mine as well as the tonnage tax — about $28,000 in 2022 — the township receives each year. Holcim later rescinded its annexation request.
A company spokesperson was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
A Washington county spokesperson said the board will listen to public comment and later determine if the existing plan for the Larson Quarry should go ahead or if further reviews will be necessary. A similar process will take place for the Nelson Mine plan, but with the city of Cottage Grove making the determination.
At the Larson Quarry in Grey Cloud Island Township, the company plans to expand the quarry onto a 148-acre parcel it owns to the east of County Road 75, according to the newly released environmental assessment worksheet.
Other details listed in the worksheet:
“He was ready to enter into public safety at a young age,” Charnoski wrote. “He dedicated his life to Red Lake Nation.
The same police department lost another officer in July 2021, when Ryan Bialke was shot to death by David Brian Donnell Jr.
Donnell, now 31, was sentenced two years later to a 37-year term.
Bialke was one of five officers to respond to a welfare check at Donnell’s home on the Red Lake Indian Reservation on July 27, 2021. Donnell, who was reportedly using drugs and suicidal, went inside the house when officers arrived. Bialke, who knew there was a tribal warrant out for Donnell, kicked down the front door. He was met with gunfire and died immediately.
“He was ready to enter into public safety at a young age,” Charnoski wrote. “He dedicated his life to Red Lake Nation.
The same Police Department lost another officer in July 2021, when Ryan Bialke was shot to death by David Brian Donnell Jr.
Donnell, now 31, was sentenced two years later to a 37-year term.
Bialke was one of five officers to respond to a welfare check at Donnell’s home on the Red Lake Indian Reservation on July 27, 2021. Donnell, who was reportedly using drugs and suicidal, went inside the house when officers arrived. Bialke, who knew there was a tribal warrant out for Donnell, kicked down the front door. He was met with gunfire and died immediately.
