1 dead, 3 injured in ATV crash near Sauk Centre

One person died and three others were taken to hospitals after an ATV crash near Sauk Centre on Sunday.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office said authorities received a report of an accident on the Wobegon Trail, just east of Sauk Centre, at about 12:22 a.m.

Deputies, along with Sauk Centre and Melrose police, responded and found three people severely injured.

According to the sheriff’s office, 50-year-old Scott Nathe was unconscious and not breathing. He was taken to a hospital where he later died. Additionally, 35-year-old Margaret Stepan and 23-year-old Kolten Kuhlmann were taken to a hospital for treatment.

Deputies also learned a fourth victim, 20-year-old Wilder Kuhlmann, was taken to a hospital by a private vehicle. He was later airlifted to a different hospital for further treatment.

An initial investigation indicates Wilder Kuhlmann was driving a 2020 Polaris ATV west along Wobegon Trail with Kolten Kuhlmann sitting on the front rack. The ATV then struck Nathe and Stepan, sending them down a steep embankment, while the Kuhlmanns were thrown from the ATV.

The trail is closed to motorized vehicles, and it appears alcohol may have been a contributing factor, the sheriff’s office said.

The crash remains under investigation.

A GoFundMe to help Stepan pay for medical costs has been started.