Teen dies, another hurt after crash in Stearns County

A teenager died and another was hospitalized after a single-vehicle crash last week in Krain Township.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says it happened at around 10:30 a.m. Friday along 248th Avenue, just north of County Road 17.

Authorities say a Chevrolet Impala was headed south on 248th Avenue when the driver lost control, overcorrected and then went into a ditch, causing the vehicle to roll and come to rest against a tree.

The two people inside — a 15-year-old driver and 16-year-old passenger — were trapped when first responders arrived at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. Neither was wearing a seat belt.

The 16-year-old, identified by the sheriff’s office as Ethan Gerads, of Albany, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 15-year-old was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.