High Speed Chase Began With Incident in Rochester
Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - The high-speed chase that ended in a crash near Dodge Center last night began in Rochester at a state-run group home.
Rochester Police Capt. John Sherwin says officers were sent to the facility in the 5400 block of Highway 63 South to deal with a disturbance involving an out of control resident. The man, later identified by the State Patrol as 54-year-old Scott Skjeveland, had allegedly assaulted a staff member and a resident of the group home, and caused some property damage before he stole a state-owned vehicle.
Capt. Sherwin says the responding officers spotted Skjeveland driving away from the property when he arrived at the scene and attempted to stop him. Due to the Rochester Police Department’s policies concerning pursuits, the officer followed the stolen vehicle into Stewartville, where he attempted to make a traffic stop, but Skjeveland responded by speeding away.
At some point, the stolen car was spotted by authorities in Mower County, which resulted in the high-speed chase, with speeds reaching 100 mph. The pursuit ended around 7:45 p.m. witth a collision with another car at a rural intersection on Highway 56 between Dodge Center and Hayfield.
Skjeveland was taken to the Mower County Jail, while the occupants of the other car, 70-year-old Larry and 68-year-old Linda Knutson of Blooming Prairie, were transported to St. Mary’s hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
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