A Zimmerman motorcyclist was injured May 22 when he rear-ended a trailer just north of St. Joseph.
On May 22 at approximately 12:45 p.m., the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a motorcycle crash on CR 2, near the intersection of Robert Road, about one mile north of the city of St. Joseph. It was reported a motorcyclist rear-ended a trailer and the driver of the motorcycle landed on the back of the trailer. When deputies arrived, they located the driver of the motorcycle, Ralph Sieben, 74, of Cold Spring, laying on the back of the flat-deck trailer being tended to by St. Joseph Fire & Rescue. In the southbound lane of CR 2, on its right side with significant damage was the motorcycle Sieben was driving prior to the crash, a 1985 Honda Gold Wing.
A 2005 Ford F250 driven by Nathan Wampole, 30, of Zimmerman, was towing a trailer. Wampole told deputies he was driving southbound on CR 2 and was slowing to turn west off the county road. He noticed Sieben gaining on his slowing vehicle very quickly. He estimated he was driving about 10-15 mph when Sieben collided into the back of the trailer he was towing. Sieben was ejected off the motorcycle and landed on the back of the flat-deck trailer. Nathan and his passenger, Dustin Rucinski, 26, of Zimmerman, were not injured.
The trailer sustained minor damage, but the Honda Gold Wing was considered a total loss from the crash. Sieben was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and transported to the St. Cloud Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. He later told deputies he was driving at about 55 mph and was looking out across a farm field just prior to the crash. When focusing back on the road, he noticed the truck and trailer slowing in front of him and could not do anything to avoid the collision in time. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash.
Assisting on scene were the St. Joseph Police Department and Mayo Ambulance.
