On May 20, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fatal motor vehicle crash between a passenger car and an ATV.
On May 20 at about 1:50 pm, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office received the report of a crash in Langola Township between a passenger car and an ATV. First responders arriving upon the scene in the 17000 block of Fifth Ave. NW found a 2002 Mazda 626 had collided with a Honda Ranchman ATV. First responders found the driver of the ATV, Frank Andrew Hohmann (age 71 of Rice), lying on the east side of Fifth Ave. NW suffering from critical injuries. The driver of the passenger car, Heath Bradley Stolp (age 54 of South Haven), was not injured. First responders provided first aid to Hohmann, however he was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
Investigating deputies learned Stolp had been driving northbound on Fifth Ave. NW when he observed a cat run into the road in front of him. Stolp reportedly swerved to the right to avoid the cat, drove on the shoulder for a short distance, and then returned his car to the roadway. Stolp told deputies that upon returning to the roadway, he saw Hohmann on the ATV for the first time immediately in front of his car driving northbound in the northbound traffic lane. Stolp attempted to stop but was unable to avoid a collision with Hohmann’s ATV. Deputies did not detect any signs of impairment from Stolp at the scene of the crash.
The investigation into the crash remains active. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the crash scene by the Rice Police Department, Rice Fire Department, Royalton Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol and Mayo Ambulance Service.
