By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

Sheriff deputies, on Wednesday, April 2, reported a minor injury during a traffic accident on a slushy roadway at 1:22 p.m. east of Elizabeth and north of Fergus Falls.

“The driver went off the roadway as the result of the slushy and snow-covered roadway,” said a sheriff deputy. “The driver hit an approach, causing an injury and damage to the front end of the vehicle.”

The sheriff office said the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

Other vehicles leave roadways

Slushy roadway conditions led to other drivers losing control of vehicles on Wednesday, April 2, but fortunately no injuries were reported.

One such incident took place early in the morning at the intersection of Highway 210 and 275th Avenue, between Wall Lake and Underwood. Other vehicles off roadways were reported south of Perham, southeast of Erhard, north of Underwood and west of Deer Creek.

Romance scam

Sheriff deputies, on April 7, reported that a resident in southwestern Otter Tail County became a victim of an online romance scam and had $800 worth of personal items stolen.

Deputies said a woman met a person through a Facebook dating app. The male stayed at her residence from March 22 to March 25 until she dropped him off at a hotel in Fargo. When she returned home she discovered that close $800 of personal items had been stolen.

Missing were Timberland boots, cologne, two silver chains and clothing. The male had used a false name and the scam victim did not have an address or phone number.

Romance scams are confidence schemes where criminals pretend to show romantic interest to gain a victim’s trust. The scammer then exploits the victim financially or emotionally. Victims are often vulnerable individuals who become emotionally invested in the fake relationship.