Charges: Man was drunk when he crashed ATV, killing passenger

A Lismore man has been charged with being drunk while driving an ATV into a ditch late Sunday evening, killing one of his three passengers.

Calvin Loosbrock, 35, is facing three felonies, including two counts of vehicular homicide and 2nd-degree manslaughter, after charges were filed against him on Monday in connection with the crash on Saturday, Oct. 5, which resulted in the death of Sara Mara Pittman, 43, of Fairmont.

According to the complaint, Nobles County Deputies responded to a report of a side-by-side accident in Lismore, Nobles County, at around 12:25 a.m.

Deputies were told one of the passengers was injured and unresponsive. Still, when responders arrived, they could not find the crash site until Loosbrock allegedly began yelling and pointing toward a field north of the residence.

When a deputy asked him who was driving, Loosbrock initially said he didn't know. The deputy allegedly noticed a strong smell of alcohol coming from him and thought he appeared drunk.

Authorities found a man and a woman trapped underneath the Can-AM side-by-side. The man, identified in the charges as A.S., was yelling for paramedics to help Pittman, who was unresponsive, first.

The man  was taken to the Worthington Emergency Room to be treated for his injuries, but the extent of his injuries is unknown at this time. Paramedics began attempting life-saving measures on Pittman and took her to the Luverne Sanford Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:46 a.m.

Deputies analyzed the scene and saw several Busch Light beer cans scattered around the area. According to the charges, some of the cans were opened. Evidence pointed to Loosbrock being the driver after police found a Busch Light box with a black baseball cap that said "Loosbrock Digging Services" on it.

Deputies also found a keychain in the ATV’s ignition with a tag reading "Loosbrock" and a Loosbrock Construction emblem on the ATV.

Deputies confirmed he was the driver after speaking with the injured man.

The charges state that Loosbrock stood by and watched the entire process until emergency services arrived. He was later arrested and brought to the Worthington Emergency Room to obtain a blood sample before being taken to jail. The results from the blood sample have not been released yet.

Later that same afternoon, a deputy contacted the third passenger, referred to as P.L. in the charges, to get a statement. He told officers that he was at A.S.'s home with Pittman when Loosbrock arrived on the ATV. Loosbrock then suggested they go on a ride, and the three traveled on the main street of Lismore before heading north of town.

When Loosbrock began to swerve into a ditch, P.L. and A.S. told him to slow down. Loosbrock then made a hard left turn at a corner, then right, which resulted in the ATV crashing into the ditch and tipping over.

During the accident, P.L. hit his head, neck, and shoulder. He told officers they had only been driving in the ATV for about five minutes.

Loosbrock's next court appearance will be on Dec. 10 at 1 p.m. He is in the Nobles County jail awaiting the results of Tuesday's bond hearing. Court records show a $10,000 bond with conditions and a $20,000 bond without conditions are being considered.