Dashcam Footage Released In Fatal Crash Involving Rice County Sheriff’s Deputy

The Rice County Sheriff’s Office has released dashcam footage of the moments leading up to a fatal crash involving a deputy.

A state patrol crash report says 52-year-old Stephanie Marie Wesley of Faribault, was struck and killed by the sheriff’s squad Saturday morning around 2 a.m.

Rice County Sheriff’s Sgt Trevor Ray Peterson, 46, of Faribault was eastbound on Morristown Blvd when he struck Wesley. Deputies at the scene immediately began rendering aid, but Wesley was eventually pronounced dead at the scene. Peterson was on routine patrol and was not responding to a call for service.

In a press release, the sheriff’s office said Wesley was laying in the roadway, parallel to the fog line when she was struck by Peterson’s squad. Peterson was traveling 59 mph in a 60 mph zone, according to the sheriff’s release. The Minnesota State Patrol will investigate the crash.

Sheriff Jesse Thomas said a portion of the dashcam video would be released to quell any rumors. “As with any case involving law enforcement, transparency is key to gaining public trust,” he says in the release.