Sheriff: SUV Flips Into Sauk River, 47-Year-Old Driver Dies

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says a 47-year-old man is dead after his car flipped into Sauk River Tuesday morning.

Officials say that deputies responded Monday at 5:27 a.m. to the call of a vehicle in Sauk River near the T intersection of Sauk River Road and County Road 139 in Rockville. The reporting party, a passerby, saw a road sign down and tracks leading to the river.

When deputies arrived, they found a 2000 Honda CR-V in the river on its roof. Emergency responders needed to extricate the victim, an adult male from Rockville, from the vehicle. Despite efforts to save his life, the victim died at the scene.

An initial investigation shows the vehicle was traveling southbound on County Road 139 when the driver applied the brakes late while approaching the intersection. He then traveled through the intersection, striking the yellow "T" warning sign. The vehicle continued traveling into the ditch and struck a tree, which caused the car to flip on its roof and into the river.

Deputies determined the victim, whose identity has not been released, was the only occupant of the vehicle. Deputies talked with the owner of the vehicle, who lent it to the victim on the afternoon of May 14.

The crash remains under investigation.