PIERCE COUNTY Accident Reports

At 12:37 a.m. Aug. 24, deputies were called to a one-vehicle crash on 410th Street at 650th Avenue in the town of Gilman. A 2020 Chevy Silverado, driven by Hunter Scott Schoengarth, 23, Ellsworth, was heading eastbound on 650th Avenue. Schoengarth said he made a wrong turn, became upset, slammed on the gas in anger, traveled left of the center line into the north ditch and launched across 410th Street. He struck a stop sign, went airborne and struck a utility pole and cables. The truck landed in a cornfield on the northeast side of the intersection. Schoengarth was not wearing a seat belt and was airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with suspected serious injuries. The truck was towed due to disabling damage. Schoengarth was cited for operator fail/have passenger/seatbelted, operating left of center and failure to keep vehicle under control. Alcohol use is suspected.

At 4 p.m. Aug. 25, deputies responded to a two-vehicle crash on 1200th Street .46 miles north of 570thAvenue in the town of Oak Grove between a 2003 Dodge Durango, driven by Dani Marie Meyer, 22, Prescott, and a 2013 Chevy Silverado, driven by Richard Emil Hanzel, 60, Red Wing, Minn. Hanzel was stopped on the crest of a hill on 1200th Street at a mailbox, delivering mail, while Meyer was southbound on 1200th Street. Meyer attempted to pass Hanzel on the left, but noticed another vehicle coming northbound on 1200th Street. She braked rapidly but struck Hanzel’s driver’s side rear corner. Meyer wore a seatbelt while Hanzel did not. Neither driver reported injuries. Meyer’s vehicle had to be towed due to disabling damage. Hanzel’s truck had functional damage.

At 5:05 p.m. Aug. 25, officers responded to a car vs. semi crash at highways 35 and 65 in the town of Trenton between a 2016 Toyota 4Runner, driven by Bonnie Lee Mueller, 69, Spooner, and a 2018 Peterbilt 579 Epiq with trailer attached, driven by Timothy Dillon Lawson, 29, Alexander, Ark. Both vehicles were stopped at the stop sign, with Mueller in the left land and Lawson in the right lane. Lawson pulled into the intersection and Mueller followed, but Lawson was attempting to turn left to head north on Highway 35 and his trailer struck Mueller’s vehicle. Both drivers and Mueller’s passenger, Ronald Paul Mueller, 73, Spooner, wore seat belts and reported no injuries. The semi-trailer had no damage, while the Toyota sported minor damage.

At 3:33 p.m. Aug. 26, deputies responded to a vehicle vs. tree crash on County Road O just south of Highway 65 in the town of River Falls. A 2017 Dodge Caravan, driven by Jennifer Anne Allen, 35, River Falls, was northbound on County Road O. She decided to pull over to the shoulder to wait for heavy rain to stop. While stopped, a tree fell onto her vehicle. Allen, who wore a seat belt, reported no injuries. The mini van had functional damage to its rear and top.

At 10:59 p.m. Aug. 26, officers responded to a two-vehicle crash at N7515 U.S. Highway 10 in the town of Trimbelle between a 2014 Ford Focus, driven by Jared Michael Toenjes, 20, Ellsworth, and a 2015 Chevy Malibu, driven by

John J. Hines Jr., 58, Ellsworth. Toenjes was traveling westbound on Highway 10 and said he may have fallen asleep. He did not see Hines slowing in front of him to make a left-hand turn into a driveway. Toenjes’ left front corner struck the right rear corner of Hines’ vehicle, causing Hines to go into the ditch on the eastbound side of Highway 10. Toenjes said he realized too late that Hines had slowed down and struck him at about 40 mph. Both drivers wore seat belts and reported no injuries. Hines’ vehicle had functional damage, while Toenjes’ vehicle had to be towed due to disabling damage. Toenjes was cited for failure to keep vehicle under control.

At 5:42 p.m. Aug. 29, deputies were called to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of highways 35 and 63 in the town of Trenton between a 2007 Nissan Maxima, driven by Marcus Daniel Maxwell, 16, Hager City, and a 2018 Ford Eclipse, driven by Thomas Patrick Hofer, 50, Isanti, Minn. Maxwell was traveling northbound on Highway 63, while Hofer was heading westbound on Highway 35. Hofer was making a left-hand turn at the four-way intersection and Maxwell drove through the intersection, striking Hofer’s Eclipse. Both vehicles came to rest in the turn lane on the northwest corner of the intersection. Maxwell wore no seat belt; Hofer wore a seat belt. Neither driver reported injuries. Both vehicles were towed due to disabling damage. Maxwell was cited for fail/stop at stop sign and operator fail/have passenger/seatbelted.

At 9:49 a.m. Aug. 30, officers responded to a one-vehicle crash on 850th Avenue 448 feet east of 30th Street in the town of Spring Lake. A 2013 Chevy Suburban, driven by Tera Ann Hinzman, 45, Spring Valley, exited a driveway at W269 850thAve. going eastbound. Hinzman had a medical episode and went unconscious. She drove into the north ditch and struck a fence. Hinzman wore a seat belt; EMS took her River Falls Area Hospital with undisclosed injuries. The vehicle had minor damage.