A Mower County woman charged with causing a multi-car crash that killed a Twin Cities physician and seriously injured his wife has been spared prison time due a request made by the victim’s family.
On Friday, Judge Jeffrey M. Johnson of the Rice County Court, ordered a stayed sentence of 48 months for Kaytlen Paige Greenlee, a departure from Minnesota guidelines which require time in prison.
Greenlee, 25, was charged with criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation, both of which are felonies, for the Sept. 25, 2020, death of Michael Ray Bendel-Stencel and injuries to his wife, Ellen Bendel- Stencel as well as four additional counts of criminal vehicular operation, all involving gross negligence.
A State Patrol report on the crash found that Greenlee was headed south on I-35 just north of the Hwy. 19 interchange when she failed to heed several signs warning of road work ahead. Her SUV crashed into the back of Bendel-Stencel’s Mini Cooper, which rolled into a ditch. The collision caused a chain reaction involving two other vehicles.
According to forensic evidence, Greenlee’s vehicle was traveling at least 74 mph and that the brakes were never applied in the 8 seconds prior to the crash.
Greenlee pled guilty to both felonies in April. In a negotiated plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the four gross misdemeanor counts of criminal vehicular operation if she would plead guilty to the felonies. In turn, Greenlee would receive a sentence in accordance to state guidelines that would then receive a stay of execution, with five years of probation. In addition, she would be required to complete 30 days of electronic home monitoring every August for the duration of her probation.
Judge Johnson agreed to the home monitoring but said it could be cut in half if Greenlee completes 100 hours of community service annually prior to each August. At the urging of Rice County Attorney Brian Mortenson and Michael Bendel-Stencel’s aunt and nephew, Johnson required Greenlee’s community service be completed with organizations that serve the less fortunate.
Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas sees distracted driving as the cause for increased traffic fatalities
On Wednesday, after a particularly tragic 9-month period, Rice County took the unusual step of issuing a report with three months still left in the year informing county residents that 2023 is already one of the deadliest years on our roads in quite some time.
From January through August 2023, preliminary data indicate there have been 9 fatal crashes with 11 fatalities in addition to 15 serious injury crashes with 28 serious injuries. This is the most fatalities from crashes since 2008, when there were 12 fatalities.
Of the 11 fatalities to date, 9 were drivers and 2 were passengers. None of the 11 people tested possible for alcohol, however, one is unknown for drugs. Seatbelts were worn by 10 of the 11 fatalities.
The Rice County Safe Roads Fatal Review Committee, composed of Sheriff Jesse Thomas, Director of Rice County Public Health Deb Purfeerst, the Rice County Safe Roads Coordinator Kathy Cooper and other emergency and county personnel, recently met to review the situation to date and discuss possible contributing factors and make applicable recommendations in roadway engineering, emergency response, enforcement, and education.
Sheriff Thomas said the majority of the people who have died this year were not the parties responsible for the crashes. And, he said, almost all of the crashes were caused by inattentive driving.
“People just aren’t paying attention. There are tons of signs, and they’re just not paying attention, not slowing down. Maybe they’re on their phone. I don’t know what it is, but people just need to start paying attention.”
The Sheriff was clearly frustrated by the situation, echoing a statement made in the report that each of these incidents were preventable. He said distracted driving is becoming a larger problem everyday. Two weeks ago, a Northfield Middle School student was struck by a car while she was in a crosswalk, and Thomas said he thinks that could become a more frequent thing. It is important, he said, to be aware of your surroundings.
“I always think of pedestrians and crosswalks. If you’re in a crosswalk, people are supposed to stop right? As a pedestrian, you should be thinking that is the law. But guess what? People might not see you because they’re on their phone or they’re looking at a street sign or they’re looking at a squirrel across the street. Everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings, and if you’re in a crosswalk, you need to be paying attention and take care of yourself as well.”
The committee reminded drivers about the dangers of distracted driving in the report, as well, asking drivers to meet their basic responsibilities of paying attention and focusing on the road. Drivers need to obey posted speed limits and be alert to traffic signs for upcoming construction zones.
Thomas said there are still three months left in the year, and the onset of winter is not very far off. He said it is vital that drivers pay attention to the road in order to keep 2023 from breaking a record that nobody wants to see broken.
Rich Larson’s full conversation with Rice County Sherriff Jesse Thomas can be heard here
Human Rights Commission seeks ‘balanced slate’ of nominees for HR Award
The Northfield Human Rights Commission is seeking nominees for its annual Human Rights Award.
To be considered for this award, a nominee should be a local individual, group or organization that has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to the advancement of human rights in the Northfield area, either through volunteer or professional efforts.
The Human Rights Commission is seeking a balanced and diverse slate of nominees that contribute to the cause of human rights in a variety of ways. All nominations should include a brief biography of the candidate as well as the reasons the nominee should receive consideration for the award.
The award will be presented during the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. community celebration.
Recipients from the past six years include Emmuas Church last year, Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann in 2022, Rahmah Abdulai, who at the time was a Northfield High School Senior in 2021, the employees of Laura Baker Services Association in 2020, the Community Action Center in 2019, and educator Jennifer Lompart in 2018. The names of each past recipient, dating back to the first Human Rights Award in 1998, are engraved on a plaque in the parking lot entrance of City Hall. They are also listed on the city website.
Nomination forms are available in English and Spanish at: northfieldmn.gov/HRAward. Paper copies are available at the Northfield Public Library or can be requested by contacting Claudia Garcia at 507-645-3078 or claudia.garcia@northfieldmn.gov.
The deadline to submit a nomination is at 8pm on October 31st.
School Board will discuss next community survey on the high school, employee payroll and benefits
The Northfield School Board will meet tonight in the boardroom of the Northfield School District office building.
Among the items on the agenda are a presentation made by Director of Instructional Services Hope Langston, who will provide an update on the summer work teams and other areas of focus for the instructional Services department for the 2023-2024 school year. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann will review a proposal from Morris-Leatherman to conduct a professional telephone survey to gauge community attitudes about updates to the Northfield High School facility and the associated costs. Director of Human Resources Molly Viesselman and Director of Finance Val Mertesdorf will present a recommendation to restructure the district’s payroll position and the district’s benefits position. Dr. Hillmann will also review the October 2023 enrollment report.
The School Board will always invite public comments from those who live in the Northfield School District. Time for those comments is scheduled at the beginning of each meeting. Registration is required to address the School Board. Those wishing to do so may sign up beginning at 5:30 pm.
Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6:00
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
