GAYLORD, Minn. (AP) - A man charged in a highway crash that killed a couple on a motorcycle in Sibley County has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, while felony counts have been dropped.
The county attorney cited the coronavirus pandemic as one factor in a decision against pursuing a trial on charges of second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide, the Star Tribune reported.
Curtis Petzel, of Arlington, was pulling a farm trailer that broke free from a tractor hitch on Highway 19 near Belle Plaine in June of 2019.
The trailer struck and killed 60-year-old Marvin Fandrich and his 61-year-old wife, Kathy Fandrich, who lived in Aberdeen, South Dakota. They were in a group of three motorcycles at the time of the accident.
Assistant County Attorney Donald Lannoye explained in a letter to the couple’s family that a trial would put many people at risk of contracting COVID-19. He also cited testimony from Petzel’s brother who said he was the one who connected the trailer to the hitch.
The misdemeanor reckless driving count carries a maximum of one year in jail and up to a $3,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7.
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