DWIGHT, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – A single-vehicle rollover crash in rural Richland County left a local sheriff’s deputy with serious but non-life-threatening injuries Thursday evening, according to the ND Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred at approximately 6:09 p.m. on County Road 81, about five miles north of Dwight and seven miles east of Galchutt.
Steven Nelk, 30, of Abercrombie, was driving a 2023 Ford F-150 southbound when he dropped his cell phone on the floorboard. While reaching for the phone, the truck veered off the roadway into the west ditch, struck a driveway, and vaulted before rolling twice. The vehicle came to rest on its tires.
Nelk, who was not wearing a seat belt, sustained injuries and was transported by CHI St. Francis Ambulance Service to Sanford Medical Center. Authorities said Nelk, a Richland County Sheriff’s Deputy, was traveling to a law enforcement training session in his personal vehicle at the time of the crash.
Nelk has been charged with failure to maintain control due to distracted driving.
The crash response included the North Dakota Highway Patrol, Abercrombie Fire and EMS, Richland County Sheriff’s Office, and CHI St. Francis Ambulance Service.
The incident remains under investigation.