Posted: 3/7/06
Buckland pleads not guilty in car chase
Renee Larayne Buckland, 40, Spring Grove, pled not guilty on March 1 in Third District Court to multiple charges relating to a high speed chase in Caledonia.
She also requested a jury trial. No date for that had been set as of March 6.
Buckland was charged on February 16 with two counts of second degree assault, four counts of criminal damage to property, two counts of obstructing the legal process, and single counts of fleeing a peace officer, motor vehicle use without consent, second degree DUI, second degree refusal to test, driving without a valid license, and violation of drivers license restriction.
She is currently in the Olmsted County Jail.
The four-minute car chase between Buckland and two law enforcement officers occurred the evening February 14. It started at the Alco parking lot and ended up 3.3 miles later on Highway 44 west of the airport.
Caledonia police officer Jim Stemper and Houston County deputy Luke Sass used their vehicles to pin Bucklandís allegedly stolen 1989 Plymouth Voyageur to a fence. Speeds reached 96 miles an hour in on-coming traffic by MaCalGrove Country Club during the chase. Damage to the county and city cars is estimated at $4,500 and $1,100 respectively.
Burglary charges filed
In other court news, Darrell Edward OíBrien, 18, Caledonia, was charged on March 6 with three felonies related to a March 1 burglary in Caledonia Township.
OíBrien was charged with burglary in the second degree, burglary in the third degree, felony theft, and misdemeanor theft. He is currently in the Houston County Jail. Bail has been set at $20,000.
ìOur investigationís still on-going and we expect another adult to be charged in the future,î Houston County chief deputy Ken Frank said on March 6.
Two hurt in crash
In sheriffís department news, two Caledonia men were injured in a crash at 7:10 a.m. on March 1 on Oakland Drive in Spring Grove Township.
The passenger, Dustin Rask, 20, Caledonia, was taken by Med Link helicopter to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center.
The driver, Jared Rask, 22, Caledonia, was taken to the same facility by Spring Grove Ambulance Service.
According to Frank, the 1999 GMC pickup failed to negotiate a curve in the road and went off the left side going down a hill. It crashed into a ditch and went about 300 feet off the road.
Dustin Rask walked about a mile up a hill to the Darlene Crawford residence at 15676 Oakland Drive. Crawford called 9-1-1. Dustin had a collapsed lung and broken ribs, and could not say where the accident had occurred.
ìYou could not see the vehicle from the road,î Frank said. ìThe rescue personnel did a very good job locating it.î
The Spring Grove Fire Department used the Jaws of Life to extricate Jared, who had a broken leg.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com