On 8/28/17 at 7:25 AM, the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office was called to investigate an accident at the intersection of 390th Street and 440th Avenue. A 2000 Caterpillar road grader operated by Robert Eugene Mahan of Emmetsburg was grading the intersection of 390th Street and 440th Avenue. Mahan pulled the road grader away from the intersection and drove east a short distance on 390th Street. Mahan then backed up into the intersection and backed south onto 440th Avenue where the rear of the road grader struck a 1998 Jeep Cherokee driven by Lex Craig Kassel of Emmetsburg, as the Kassel vehicle was stopped at the stop sign.
No injuries were reported at the scene. Damage to the Kassel vehicle was estimated at $3000.00. No damage was done to the road grader. Mahan was issued a citation for Unsafe Backing on the Road.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.