Caledonia Argus

Iowa man dies in accident on Hwy. 44

Posted: 1/7/03

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

Paul Schutte of Fort Atkinson, IA was pronounced dead at the scene of a one-vehicle accident on State Hwy. 44 between Mabel and Spring Grove on Friday, January 3.

Traveling eastbound in a Cadillac DeVille, Schutte lost control on a curve, went off the road, and struck a tree. He was wearing a seatbelt, and the driverís airbag deployed at the time of the crash.

Local authorities respond to car accidents

Caledonia Police were the first on the scene of a one-car accident on CSAH 3 one mile east of Caledonia just after noon on January 5. Officer Heath Dienger of CPD was flagged down by a motorist, who advised him that there was an occupied vehicle in the ditch. Caledonia Ambulance, the Caledonia Fire Department, and Houston County authorities also responded.

Claudia Knoblach of Houston was removed from the vehicle and treated for injuries. No further information was available.

On January 3 around 11 a.m., Nick Rollins of Caledonia, driving a 1994 Pontiac, collided with Andrea Colsch, also of Caledonia, driving a Mercury Mountaineer. The collision occurred after Rollins, turning left from Kingston Street onto South Street, pulled in front of Colsch. According to Caledonia Police, Rollinsí windows were covered with frost.

Minor injuries were reported at the scene of a car crash on January 2 at the intersection of Main Street and Kingston. Ivan Lenser of Caledonia drove through a red light and collided into the passenger side of a Dodge Stratus driven by Talia Lehmann of Houston, according to Caledonia Police.

A trailer was damaged during an vehicle accident at the intersection of State Hwy. 44 and West Washington Street on December 30. Rickey Wyatt of Caledonia was attempting to merge onto Hwy. 44 and drove into the path of Douglas Johnson of La Crosse. Johnson swerved to avoid Wyatt, and Johnsonís trailer was struck, sustaining minor damage. The bumper of Wyattís vehicle came off as a result of the collision. Total damage was estimated at under $1000.

Houston County authorities responded to a one-car crash on CSAH 6 about five miles from La Crescent on December 28. The driver, Mike Larson of La Crescent, lost control of the vehicle and veered off into a ditch. Larson was uninjured in the accident, though the vehicle was totalled. Ice on the road is believed to have caused the accident, according to Houston County authorities.

The Sheriffís Office received a 911 call reporting a car fire off Quarry Road in Winnebago Township on December 28. The vehicle was traveling north on Quarry Road and, approaching a sharp curve, spun out into a ditch due to icy road conditions. Driver Anthony Jones, Caledonia, and passenger Gary Jones left the scene to call for help and, when they returned, the car was on fire. No further information was available.

90 items taken from Bjerkeís True Value

Two suspects are believed to have taken 90 items, valued at $226, from Bjerkeís True Value. A clerk told Caledonia Police that two males entered the store and remained in the tool area for a long time; they made a small tool purchase and left the store. Later that day, owner Tom Bjerke noticed a large amount of tools missing, including sockets, torx drivers, nut drivers, router bits, and screwdrivers.

The suspects were described as males in their mid-30s. The first suspect was slim, about six feet tall, and sporting brown hair with blonde streaks. He was wearing blue jeans and a brown flannel shirt at the time of the incident. The second suspect had short dark hair and was just under six feet tall.

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