Chippewa County deputy injured by suspected impaired driver

A deputy received non-life threatening injuries while conducting a traffic stop in Chippewa County Wednesday.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Deputy Jeffrey Jerve, age 31 of Montevideo, was parked on the shoulder of Highway 59, about 3 miles southeast of Milan conducting a traffic stop. At about 4:06 p.m., Jerve’s his sheriff’s department Chevrolet Tahoe was struck from behind by a GMC Yukon driven by Lawrence Mechura, age 46, of Appleton.

Jerve and Mechura were both taken to the Chippewa County Montevideo Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The state patrol believes alcohol impairment may have contributed to the crash.

The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, Lac qui Parle County Sheriff’s Office, and Montevideo ambulance assisted at the scene.