BEMIDJI — A Beltrami County Sheriff's deputy and a fleeing man were injured in a head-on crash Tuesday morning, Aug. 26, in Eckles Township, northwest of Bemidji.
In a news release, the sheriff's office reported deputies responded to a reported stolen vehicle at the Elpine Village Mobile Home Park. Deputies located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver fled, leading a pursuit down gravel roads and snowmobile trails, the sheriff's office said.
While the driver was southbound on Grant Creek Road, a deputy was northbound with emergency lights on. The two collided head on, ending the pursuit but causing extensive damage to both vehicles.
The deputy was treated at an area hospital and later released with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver, identified as a 26-year-old Bemidji man, was transported by ambulance to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries.
"As the Sheriff, I would like to express my extreme appreciation to the deputy that was injured today, as well as all law enforcement, for the sacrifices that they make and the risks they take to protect our communities," stated Sheriff Jason Riggs in the release.
"This appreciation does not end with those wearing the badge, but extends to the families that support their loved ones in a profession that can be very dangerous."
The driver remained in custody, awaiting formal charges as of Wednesday morning.
-
Lorie Shaull/Special to KAXETwo women, ages 20 and 22, reported the man had not returned to shore. One of the women was transported by ambulance for injuries related to cold exposure. -
Contributed/Bloomington Police DepartmentThe former state senator was charged in March 2025 after a prostitution sting operation in Bloomington, where an undercover police officer posed as a 17-year-old online. -
Ekaterina Bolovtsova via PexelsMichael Hart pleaded guilty to burglary and assault, the charges he was originally in custody for when he escaped from a corrections facility. -
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will host an informational open house in McIntosh on May 13, 2026, for its planned project on Highway 2 from Fosston to Erskine in 2029. -
Megan Buffington/KAXEWith hundreds laid off and bleak economics, Iron Range leaders are warning elected officials to carefully plan their budgets over the next few years. -
Plus: The producers of "Ghost Lake" are filming in a new location after the Bois Forte Band revoked its approval; and one year after Cleveland-Cliffs laid off 600 miners, Iron Range leaders are sounding the alarm on an economic downturn. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEMax Hites had been with Lueken's Village Foods since the store's beginning. Employees and customers joined in celebrating Hites' 60-year career at an open house on May 1, 2026. -
Contributed/Karina Kafka / Report for MinnesotaThe bill’s proposed portal, accessible via the Internet, would provide contractors and subcontractors a place to submit payroll reports, which would be stored in a database for public or state use. -
Contributed/Minnesota Interagency Fire CenterAs "green-up" slowly makes its way north, Minnesota's firefighters remain alert to conditions where wildfires can easily spread due to available fuels and dry weather. -
Contributed/Michele Jokinen / Minnesota House of RepresentativesThe Permanent School Fund uses revenue from the sale of timber, minerals and land on 2.5 million acres of School Trust Lands to fund public school districts and charter schools around Minnesota.
