Man killed in pedestrian-vehicle crash in Sauk Rapids

St. Cloud, Minn. (KNSI) – One person is dead, and a man is in jail after a crash Friday night in Sauk Rapids.

Police were called to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash just before 11:00 p.m. near Benton Drive North and 8th Street North. 

Life-saving measures were administered at the scene and CentraCare – St. Cloud Hospital, where the victim was later pronounced dead.

According to the criminal complaint, filed in Benton County on Monday, 25-year-old Tyler Nies told officers he was driving his pickup truck north on Benton Drive in the righthand lane and saw a man walking in the grass next to the curb and then step into the street as if he were going to cross the road. 

Nies said he tried to slam on his brakes but could not stop. He also told officers he had been drinking beforehand.

A witness at the scene told investigators he was in the left lane behind Nies when his vehicle suddenly veered into his lane and came to a stop. The witness said they didn’t see the pedestrian until after the crash. 

The witness also estimated that both vehicles were traveling approximately five miles above the posted speed limit of 35 miles an hour.

Officers administered field sobriety tests at the scene and a preliminary breath test. The criminal complaint stated Nies’s blood alcohol concentration was .129.

Nies has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide and driving while impaired.

Story by Jennifer Lewerenz / KNSI