Updated at: 02/05/2010 10:02 AM | KSAX.com
By: Megan Matthews

Officer Fatal Snowmobile Crash: Douglas Co. Sheriff Releases New Details

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office released new details Tuesday, surrounding the death of an Alexandria Police officer who died in a snowmobile crash on the Central Lakes Trail Friday night.

"The accident itself...it's just pure tragedy that's the only way to describe it," Douglas County Sergeant Dave Ahlquist said.

According to investigators, two sheriff's deputies were responding to a commercial burglary alarm in the area around the time of the crash, and arrived on scene within a minute.

The deputies found two seriously injured men at the scene and assisted North Ambulance in taking the men to the Douglas County Hospital. Both men, Patrick Callaghan,31,of Alexandria, and Mark Ruder,25,of Glencoe, were later airlifted to the Hennepin County Medical Center.

Callaghan was pronounced dead at 12:45 a.m. Jan. 30. Mark Ruder was admitted to HCMC, where he remained in fair condition Monday.

A third man, Rob Stanley,28, of Alexandria, witnessed the accident, according to investigators. Stanley was interviewed at the accident scene, and was arrested for driving his snowmobile while under the influence of alcohol.

Stanley was booked into the Douglas County Jail and released Saturday, Jan. 30.

Based on the Douglas County Sheriff's preliminary investigation, Callaghan and Ruder were snowmobiling when they met Rob Stanley in Nelson. The three men drove west on the Central Lakes Trail to Liberty Road. According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Callaghan and Stanley stopped to say goodbye because they were planning to drive in different directions.

"While they were stopped the third man in their riding party came from behind and ran into the back of Pat's snowmobile," Sgt. Ahlquist said.

Investigators believe Ruder was some distance behind the two before he and crashed into Callaghan and his snowmobile.

Blood samples were drawn from both Callaghan and Ruder to test for blood alcohol levels. The samples were sent to the BCA lab for analysis and it could take a couple weeks to get the results.

The crashed snowmobiles were impounded for additional examination.

"Trying to pick up the pieces afterwards of what happened and make sense of it is our job at this point, and that's what we're focused on," Sgt. Ahlquist said.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is handling the investigation, with assistance from the Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The state patrol had mapped the scene of the crash and will be completing a comprehensive accident reconstruction.

Circumstances surrounding the crash are still under investigation, and new details will be released as the investigation proceeds.

"It takes time to gather all the pieces and put the information together," Sgt. Ahlquist explained.

When the investigation is complete, the file will be submitted to the Douglas County Attorney for review. If Ruder is found at fault, he could face criminal charges.

Written for the web by Megan Matthews

megan@ksax.com