DEER PARK — A Minnesota motorcyclist was killed Saturday afternoon, July 6 in the Village of Deer Park after being struck with a Jeep driven by a suspected car thief during a police pursuit.
The motorcyclist, Dustin Edward Kalland, 39, of Stillwater, MN died at the scene.
The driver of the Jeep, Brandon Michael Lieffring, 37, from New Richmond WI, was arrested following the crash after a brief foot pursuit.
The St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to an incident in the 2000 block of STH 65 in Star Prairie Township at 4:12 p.m. last Saturday when a complainant reported a 2013 Jeep Liberty was taken without permission, and that a court-ordered “no-contact” order was also being violated.
Deputies responded, and located the reported vehicle in question. Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle on STH 65, just north of the City of New Richmond. Lieffring did not stop, and a vehicle pursuit occurred.
The pursuit continued eastbound on STH 64, then northbound on STH 46, towards the Village of Deer Park.
As the pursuit entered the village, Lieffring passed several other motorists on the left-hand side. There were several motorcycles taking a left-hand turn on Main Street near North Street W. The suspect vehicle struck one of the motorcyclists.
Lieffring then fled the scene on foot, but deputies were able to apprehend him after a brief pursuit.
Life saving measures were taken to save Kalland, however, the St. Croix County Medical Examiner pronounced him dead at the scene.
The Wisconsin State Patrol, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office were requested to investigate the incident, per Wisconsin State Statutes.
The agencies assisting during this incident were the New Richmond Police, New Richmond EMS, Deer Park Fire/Rescue, Wisconsin State Patrol, the Polk County Sheriffs Office, the St. Croix County Highway Department, Amery Fire and the St. Croix and Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Offices.
This is the fifth traffic fatality recorded by St. Croix County in 2019.
This incident remains under investigation.
