Accident report provides details of fatal crash that involved officer
NEW ULM – The Minnesota State Patrol’s investigation of the accident involving a New Ulm squad car last July 8 indicates Police Officer Matthew Rasmussen was trying to catch up to a speeding car on North Garden Street when Myra Meyer, 82, turned in front of him into the driveway of the Garden Terrace Apartments.
Rasmussen applied the brakes a split second before hitting Meyer’s car, a 1994 Mercury Sable, but was unable to avoid hitting Meyer’s car at an estimated speed of 60 miles per hour. Meyers and her son, Brian Wichmann, 60, of Mankato died of the injuries suffered in the crash.
Earlier this week a Brown County grand jury refused to indict Rasmussen on any criminal charges after receiving evidence from Redwood County Attorney Steven Collins, who acted as special prosecutor in the case to avoid conflicts of interest with New Ulm and Brown County officials.
According to the accident investigation report, which became public after the grand jury hearing, Rasmussen was on traffic control duty on North Garden Street at about 2:40 p.m.
Rasmussen told investigators he was parked in the parking lot of Christ the King Lutheran Church when he clocked a car, a blue SUV, on his radar traveling at 44 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour zone. By the time he was able to get onto Garden Street to follow the speeding SUV, two other cars were between him and the speeder.
Rasmussen activated his flashing lights to get the intervening cars to pull over and sped up to catch the SUV. He told investigators he noticed an approaching tan car but didn’t see any indication it was going to turn. He said he took one more glance at his radar display to check the speed of the SUV and looked up to see Meyer turning in front of him. Their cars collided in the southbound lane.
Several witnesses who spoke with Patrol Sgt. Mike DeJong said they saw Rasmussen’s flashing lights and they pulled over, but that the lights were not activated after he passed them and before the accident. Rasmussen told DeJong he didn’t recall turning off his flashing lights.
Investigators downloaded video images from the squad car’s dashboard video camera that recorded the 30 seconds before the crash. Trooper Melanie Cook, who had responded to the scene and collected evidence, said the video shows the Mercury turning in front of the squad car, but a glare from the hood of the Mercury prevented her from seeing if the Mercury’s left turn signal was on.
Patrol Cpl. Leslie Johnson, who mapped the scene, said there were straight line skid marks from the squad car north of the driveway, and gouge marks from the car’s skid plates and strut supports.
Johnson’s report said there was no physical evidence to show that the Mercury’s turn signal had been used.
Johnson’s report estimated Meyers was traveling about 17 miles per hour, and that Rasmussen was traveling about 60 miles per hour at the point of impact. Rasmussen’s estimated speed at the beginning of the skid marks was 72 miles per hour.
Article source: http://www.nujournal.com/page/content.detail/id/527720.html