Pickup Truck Crashes Through Cemetery Fence In Sauk Centre Early Saturday Morning

SAUK CENTRE TOWNSHIP (WJON News) -- A man was hurt and later arrested after crashing his pickup into a cemetery over the weekend. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says they received a call around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday about an unoccupied pickup crashing through a stone fence and hitting a number of grave markers in Greenwood Cemetery on the outskirts of Sauk Centre.

Authorities say around the same time they also got a 911 call that was disconnected, and upon call back the man who answered said there was no problem.  Once on scene, deputies confirmed the pickup was not occupied and, a short time later, found 19-year-old Daniel Meza of Long Prairie northeast of the cemetery near 390th Avenue in Sauk Centre Township. Meza's phone was confirmed to be the one that had called 911 around the time of the crash, and he was also the owner of the pickup.

After further investigation, Meza was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving while intoxicated and taken to Sauk Centre Hospital for evaluation of his injuries.  The Sheriff's Office says its investigation determined Meza was going east on County Road 17, failed to stop at the T-intersection, went through the cemetery stone wall, and struck numerous gravesites before coming to a stop.  Meza was later taken to the Stearns County Jail, where he is being held pending charges.  A cemetery representative estimates the crash did about $50,000 in damage.