Sauk Centre (trfnews.i234.me) – A Grand Forks man is facing multiple DWI charges after allegedly driving through a cemetery in Sauk Centre, knocking over gravestones and crashing through a fence.
According to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, 52-year-old Steven Sawatzky was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado when he failed to stop at a stop sign, veering off the road and into Greenwood Cemetery on Sunday, Feb. 23, at approximately 11:30 a.m.
Witnesses and officials say Sawatzky plowed through a chain-link fence, before crashing into multiple grave markers, causing significant damage to the cemetery grounds.
DWI Charges & Investigation
The Minnesota State Patrol and Sauk Centre Police Department responded to the scene, where authorities determined that Sawatzky was under the influence at the time of the crash.
Sawatzky was taken to the hospital via ambulance for injuries. He is now facing a misdemeanor fourth-degree DWI charge. Court records indicate he faces two additional DWI charges.
What’s Next?
Sawatzky’s reckless crash into sacred cemetery grounds has left families of the deceased in shock, with local officials now assessing the full extent of the damage.
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I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News