A collision of off-road vehicles on a paved road has left one Twin Cities operator dead and another Minnesotan arrested in western Wisconsin on suspicion of being drunk at the time, authorities said.
The crash during a group ride occurred about 1:40 p.m. Saturday near County Road B in the Town of Richland, according to the Rusk County Sheriff's Office.
Emergency responders arrived to find Alan Hanson, 28, of Oak Grove, dead, the Sheriff's Office said. Hanson's passenger, Jordan Walls, 28, of St. Francis, was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.
Brennon T. Plaisted, 27, of Isanti, was arrested on suspicion of homicide by intoxication while operating one of the vehicles. Plaisted has since been released pending charges after posting bond. Messages were left with Plaisted seeking his response to the allegations.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources:
Plaisted was on a Polaris RZR and riding next to Hanson on his Polaris Sportsman 570 when the two collided, said DNR recreation warden Mark Little.
Little said Plaisted failed a field sobriety test administered by law enforcement as well as a preliminary breath test. Speed also appeared to be a factor, Little said.
The warden said those types of vehicles were legally allowed to be on the county road.
