Updated at: 02/02/2010 11:30 AM | KSAX.com
By: Megan Matthews

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Alexandria Community Mourning after Police Officer Killed

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. - The Alexandria Police Department lost one of their own after a deadly snowmobile accident Friday night.

It happened on the Central Lakes Trail near Liberty Rd. just east of Alexandria around 8 p.m. Friday, and it seems the entire community has been hurt by the loss of Officer Patrick Callaghan.

"My heart fell to the bottom, because we did know him vaguely," Bonnie Anderson of Alexandria said.  She was an acquaintance of Callaghan, and that was her first reaction when she heard about the death of Callaghan.

"It's very heartbreaking to hear how it happened," she said.

Callaghan was off-duty and riding a snowmobile on Central Lakes Trail when he and 25-year-old Mark Ruder of Glencoe, Minn. somehow crashed.

"It was quite shocking...it's something that catches you unawares," Alexandria resident John Kilpatrick said.

Douglas County Deputies and North Ambulance arrived on scene just after 8 p.m.  Both Ruder and Callaghan were injured and taken to Douglas County Hospital and then airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center where Callaghan died.  Ruder is in fair condition.

"It raises a lot of questions...how this could have happened," Kilpatrick said.

Douglas County Sheriff's, Minnesota State Patrol, and the DNR are investigating the crash, but so far any information surrounding the circumstances of how the crash happened have not been released.

"Hopefully they'll find an answer to why this happened, so it doesn't happen in the future," Anderson said.

Callaghan joined Alexandria Police Department in November 2007, after working in Glenwood, Minn.  Alexandria law enforcement were not available for comment, but Fitzpatrick said they must be going through a hard time.

"I'm sure it has a tremendous affect on the community...particularly police departments that probably worked closely with this young man," Kilpatrick said.

"It has a great impact on a small community you know...everyone knew him or knows his family," Anderson said.

Patrick Callaghan's funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Good Shepard Lutheran Church in Alexandria.  As of Monday, Douglas County Attorney had not charged Mark Ruder.  However, Ruder could face charges based on the results of the investigation.

Written for the web by Megan Matthews

megan@ksax.com