Driver Airlifted After Crash During Pursuit by Wright County Deputies

A man from Houston County was injured Sunday night when the pickup truck he was driving rolled over after coming into contact with a Wright County Sheriff’s Department vehicle during a pursuit.

The Wright County Sheriff’s Office reports that around 10:25 PM Sunday, a Wright County Deputy responded to a traffic complaint that a motorist was driving erratically.

The deputy located the 1999 Dodge Dakota pickup in the City of Otsego. Officials say when the deputy activated their emergency lights to attempt to stop the vehicle, the driver immediately fled. The pickup headed south on Quam Avenue, eventually merging onto southbound Highway 101. Deputies continued their pursuit on Highway 101 to the off-ramp for 45^th Street Northeast in the City of St. Michael.

It was at this point that contact was made between the deputy’s squad and the suspect vehicle. That contact caused the pickup to roll over. Wright County Sheriff’s Deputies and emergency responders from the St. Michael Fire Department were able to extricate the driver form the vehicle. The driver, identified as 44-year-old Corey Pratt of La Crescent, Minnesota was air lifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul for treatment of undisclosed injuries.

Authorities say evidence located by deputies indicated possible alcohol consumption and impairment on the part of the driver. The incident is under further investigation.