Elk River Police and Fire were dispatched to a dumpster fire at Petsmart, 18050 Zane St NW, about 8 a.m. on Sept. 19.
The fire was directly against the building and quickly spread to a second dumpster, according to an ERFD report on Facebook. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and there was limited damage to the building, the report stated.
Officers arrived and found dumpsters to be fully engulfed. Elk River Fire responded to the location and took over the scene and officers cleared.
Cyclist overcorrects and goes into ditch
A 23-year-old Big Lake man was involved in a motorcycle crash about 10:24 p.m. on Sept. 22 in the 13900 block of Ranch Road.
Upon arrival the motorcyclist told police he overcorrected coming out of a curve in the roadway and grabbed his front brake causing him to go into the ditch. He reportedly injured his wrist, but denied medical transport after being checked out by a medic. The motorcycle was towed from the crash scene by Collins Bros. towing.
Focused on her eye, distracted driver goes into the ditch
A-64-year-old St. Francis woman was taken to the hospital by ambulance after going off the road in the vicinity of the Norris Lake Road and Jarvis Street intersection shortly after 10 a.m. on Sept. 21.
The driver told police she was looking at her eye in a flip down mirror while westbound on Norris Lake Road in Nowthen. She went through a stop sign at the intersection of Jarvis Street and went off the road, according to an initial complaint report filled out by the officer.
The driver failed to stop for the stop sign, crossed Jarvis Street into Elk River, went off road in the west ditch, missing a power pole and box before coming to rest in the front yard of residence, according to Elk River Police Capt. Joe Gacke.
The driver was transported to Mercy Hospital via Elk River Ambulance with facial abrasions and a likely concussion, Gacke said. The driver’s husband and daughter responded to the scene and removed the vehicle. A city accident exchange form was completed and provided to the driver and the homeowner.
Fallen road construction sign believed to be culprit in a Highway 169 crash
On Saturday, September 21, 2024 at approximately 8:30 a.m. the Minnesota State Patrol responded to and investigated a two-vehicle injury crash on Highway 169 in Elk River near School Street and Main Street.
Two vehicles were southbound on Highway 169 in the work zone where traffic was being impacted by a down traffic sign. A Dodge Stratus driven by a 69-year-old male from Princeton struck from behind a Dodge Ram driven by a 45-year-old man from Elk River. Both occupants were wearing seatbelts.
The man from Princeton was transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
Authorities said traffic slowed and stopped quickly due to a construction sign that was blown over partially into the lane, according to the Elk River Police Department. Police had been alerted to a down sign about five minutes before the crash. It reportedly fell down and was lying in the southbound lane. An officer removed it from the roadway.
Tree fire caused by fireworks being let off
Elk River Police and Fire responded to a tree fire shortly before 9 p.m. on Sept. 20 in the 1000 block of Vale Ave.
The fire was reportedly caused by fireworks, and upon arrival officers found the tree to be smoldering. Elk River Fire responded and extinguished the fire, Gacke said.
A 63-year-old Elk River man told police he heard a loud boom outside, and when he went outside to investigate he noticed that a tree was on fire.
Officers knocked on the doors of the neighbors and they did not answer. No fireworks were observed in the area.
While clearing the call, however, an officer noticed fireworks going off in a nearby backyard. Officers advised an individual that a nearby tree caught on fire due to fireworks.
Officers searched the area and found blown up remains of fire crackers and spoke to a 28-year-old Elk River man. Officers warned the individual that lighting off such fireworks is illegal. Gacke said the individual told police he did not own nor light off any aerial fireworks.
Bicyclist struck on Homecoming was not seriously injured
A 67-year-old Elk River man and 34-year-year-old Elk River were involved in a vehicle versus bicycle accident about 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 20 as the Elk River High School homecoming parade was going on a short distance away. The stop arms for the railroad crossing at Proctor Avenue were also down at the time, according to scanner traffic.
The older man in a truck was making a southbound turn from westbound Highland Road when he struck a bicyclist traveling eastbound across Proctor Road.
Gacke said the bicyclist appeared to not stop at the intersection and the driver did not see the bicyclist until inside the intersection. There was no damage to the vehicle. The bicyclist had injured his wrist but denied medical attention. An officer completed an accident exchange.
Teen cited for failing to use due care in crash
A 17-year-old Elk River girl was cited for failure to drive with due care after a crash in the 800 block of School Street at 2:38 p.m. on Sept. 19.
The driver of the other vehicle involved stated that she was traveling eastbound in the left lane of School Street and was slowing and then stopped for traffic that was in front of her. The 40-year-old Zimmerman woman stated that when she stopped she was hit from behind by another vehicle. The teenager told police she was looking down at the radio just before the accident, and when she looked up the vehicle in front of ther had stopped and she was not able to stop before the front of her vehicle rear-ended the vehicle.
Elk River model home has appliances swiped
A 65-year-old Brooklyn Park woman reported at 2 p.m. on Sept. 19 that sometime overnight a model home in the 11000 block of 183rd Lane was burglarized and that there was both damage to the interior of the home as well as appliances missing. The model home is owned by Cottage Homesteads of America.
SRO looking into threat at ERHS, Salk Middle School staff looking into one, too
A school resource officer from the Elk River Police Department received information on Sept. 19 on a tip of a threat received over Elk River High School’s anonymous tip line. Students have been interviewed and charges are pending, according to the initial complaint report. Elk River Police Capt. Joe Gacke said the matter remains under investigation and no further information is available at this time.
School staff at Salk Middle School, 11970 Highland Rd., are also investigating a threat. Gacke said police don’t have a lot of information at this point.
Security officer duped by scrap radiator thieves
A security officer for an Elk River business in the 17000 block of Highway 10 was fooled into believing that two individuals were contracted to retrieve a pair of scrap radiators.
As it turns out the individuals in a blacked out sedan at Cornerstone Auto at 2:20 a.m. on Sept. 24 this was not true.
The business stated they do not want charges against the two but does not want them to return. Officer explained trespass protocols. Security shared video of the incident.
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