Theft of phone resulted in Amazon charges

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent 

Sheriff deputies, on Oct. 1, reported three injuries during an accident on Interstate 94 in southwestern Otter Tail County.

Two vehicles entered the median after traveling in a southeasterly direction, toward Alexandria. 

Injured in one vehicle, close to 9 p.m., was 21-year-old Dnisha Marcella Shelton of West Fargo. She was driving a 2013 Toyota Scion.

Two people in the second vehicle also were injured, including the driver, Julio Hernandez, 35, of Pasco, Washington. He was driving a 2015 Mercedes. The passenger in the Hernandez vehicle, Darleen Rivera, 39, also of Pasco, was also injured.

All three injuries were non-life threatening.

Vandalism reported

Vandalism was reported Oct. 2 east of Undewood, near Highway 210.

Lug nuts on a trailer were loosened. The owner of a rental facility believes the lug nuts were loosened during overnight hours.

Theft of phone resulted in Amazon changes

A county resident who lives near Highway 10 in eastern Otter Tail County reported on Oct. 3 that his cell phone was stolen. 

This, in turn resulted in the thief tapping into an Amazon account and ordering approximately $1,000 worth of items.

Amazon officials say a person’s first line of defense in any account is to have in place a secure password. Don’t use your child’s birthday or anything that can be guessed.

If it’s something that other people readily know about you, it’s a terrible password.

Driver dies in crash

A West Fargo man, 64-year-old Duane Paul Hiedeman, died in a traffic accident shortly after 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 on Interstate 94 in southwestern Otter Tail County.

Sheriff deputies, in conjunction with the Minnesota State Highway Patrol, said the driver was westbound when his pickup left the roadway and rolled into the median.

He was not wearing a seatbelt. The accident took place in Fergus Falls Township.

Fires destroy

two houses

Sheriff deputies, On Oct. 5, reported the loss of two homes to fires. One fire took place near Highway 73 in southeastern Otter Tail County and the second fire took place near Highway 117, southeast of Dalton.

Firefighters were called to the fire near Highway 73 at 11:19 a.m. Responding to the scene were fire crews from Bertha and Hewitt, south of Wadena.

The house, which was a total loss, had an estimated value to $150,000. Repairs had been made earlier in the day. The house was not occupied at the time of the fire.

Near Dalton, that fire was called into authorities at 2:53 p.m.

Eight people escaped from the blaze, although two dogs and several cats reportedly died in the fire.

Responding to the scene were firefighters from Dalton, Battle Lake and Ashby.

Cause of the fire was accidental and took place during a repair of the home’s heating system in the attic.

Several items taken 

from cabin

Several items were stolen from a cabin and nearby buildings close to Highway 38, near Spitzer Lake, in the extreme south-central section of Otter Tail County. The thefts were reported on Oct. 5.

Taken were two jet skis, a trailer, riding lawn mower, horse trailer, golf cart and safe. The items were in the cabin and the attached garage.

Rollover reported in NYM, owner extricated

The driver of a vehicle was extricated from his car after being injured on Highway 67, on Oct. 4, at 8:46 a.m. near New York Mills.

This took place during a one-vehicle rollover.

Power lines fell on the vehicle and had to be removed, prior to the extrication, by Pelican Rapids-based Lake Region Electric Cooperative (LREC). The driver received non-life threatening injuries.