Caledonia Argus

Knutson pleads guilty; accidents plague drivers

Posted: 3/11/03

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

The Spring Grove man who alleged that police used excessive force in arresting him on December 6 has pled guilty to obstructing the legal process during that arrest.

Mark Knutson, in a complaint filed December 10, was initially charged with assault in the fourth degree, obstructing the legal process, domestic assault, and three counts of violating an order for protection in connection with the December 6 incident. He pled not guilty to these charges on January 6, but at a hearing on March 5 he pled guilty to obstructing the legal process and one count of violating an order for protection.

Sentencing is set for April 2.

String of accidents on CSAH 7

Three separate car accidents occurred on CSAH 7 in the course of one hour the morning of March 8.

Gladys Crawford of Caledonia sustained minor injuries in a one-vehicle accident at 10:32 a.m., and about twenty minutes later another accident transpired in close proximity to the first. No injuries were reported in the second accident.

A two-vehicle accident occurred shortly thereafter ìjust pastî the other two accidents, according to a spokesman for the Houston County Sheriffís Office. Dorothy Manhart of Caledonia and Margaret Brotzman of Rushford were transported to Gundersen Medical Center and treated for injuries.

No further information was available.

Hit-and-runs on Pine Street

Thomas Murphy of Caledonia contacted Caledonia Police to report that while visiting St. Maryís School on East South Street between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on March 5, his 1993 Ford parked on Pine Street was struck by another vehicle and sustained damage to the driverís door, the rear door, and the quarter panel.

That same day, a 2000 Plymouth owned by Peter Kittleson of Caledonia was sideswiped while parked on Pine Street. The vehicle was parked outside Caledonia Wheel Alignment, where it was being serviced. Damage is estimated at $500.

Crash course in journalism

WXOW TV-19 out of La Crescent contacted Houston County authorities to report that one of its news vehicles had gone off the road about half a mile from the WXOW news station on CSAH 25.

No injuries were reported; no further information was available.

Rollover lands pregnant

woman in hospital

The Houston County Sheriffís Office, Spring Grove Ambulance, and the Spring Grove Fire Department responded to a one-vehicle rollover on CSAH 4 in Blackhammer Township the morning of March 10.

When authorities arrived on the scene, the vehicle was unoccupied, but a van pulled up minutes later and informed police that multiple passengers were in the vehicle at the time of the accident, including a pregnant woman, and all of them had been transported to the hospital by a relative living in the area.

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