Hwy. 4 accident claims life of Graettinger man
by Mary Ann Menendez - Staff WriterA Graettinger driver was pronounced dead following a one-vehicle accident Wednesday on Highway 4, south of Estherville.
Donald Kerr, 56, was the driver of the 1988 brown Chevrolet pick-up truck.
Emmet County Sheriff Larry Lamack said his department received a call at 11:52 a.m. from an Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative worker who noticed one of the company's utility poles was broken.
Upon further investigation, the electrical worker determined there was an occupied vehicle underneath the pole.
The ILEC employee told the dispatcher on duty the driver was unconscious. There were also live wires laying across the truck.
Lamack said arriving on scene were members of the sheriff's department, Estherville Fire Department, Estherville Ambulance Service, Emmet County Emergency Management, Emmet County Conservation and the Estherville Police Department.
"The First Responders were able to extricate the unconscious driver who was transported to Avera Holy Family Health where he was pronounced dead," the sheriff said.
The sheriff's department determined the pick-up truck was heading south on Highway 4 when it veered off the road into the west ditch. Lamack said it went some distance through the ditch and coming to rest striking the utility pole.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the sheriff's department.
The Estherville Daily News was notified the non-conference softball game scheduled Wednesday between Graettinger-Terril and Sibley-Ocheydan was canceled due to this tragedy.
