A 64-year-old Nielsville man died after his vehicle left a rural Polk County roadway and crashed into a grove of trees, according to authorities. Kevin Moen was found unresponsive inside the car, the vehicle's sole occupant, after an automatic crash-detection system alerted emergency dispatchers to the wreck near 440th Street S.W.
Automatic Alert Brought Responders to the Scene
According to grandforksherald.com, the Polk County Sheriff's Office received a call from an automatic 911-Crash-Detection system at about 7:30 p.m. near 36477 440th Street S.W. The vehicle had been traveling west on 440th Street S.W. before it left the roadway and struck the trees, the outlet reported. First responders found Moen unresponsive inside the car and attempted life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office identified Moen as the victim, according to The Flag - AM 1100 and FM 92.3 WZFG. Authorities said Moen was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, and alcohol was not believed to be a factor. The station's report and the Grand Forks outlet differ slightly on the date of the crash — one account places it on Oct. 6, while the other reports Moen was found dead on Nov. 6 — and that detail has not been independently confirmed.
Body Sent for Forensic Review as Investigation Continues
Moen's body was transported to the University of North Dakota Forensic Pathology laboratory for further investigation, per the same account. The Sheriff's Office said the crash remains under investigation and that no additional information would be released at this time.
The Minnesota State Patrol, the Nielsville Fire Department and Crookston Area Ambulance all assisted at the scene alongside the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the report noted. No cause, speed, or road-condition details have been released.
Another Recent Fatal Crash in the County
Moen's death adds to a difficult stretch for rural Polk County, where a separate single-vehicle crash claimed the lives of two men from northwest Minnesota. In that crash, Yahoo News reported that Johnny Alexander Ortiz and Devin Michael Casares, both 22 and from Warren, Minnesota, died after their vehicle overturned and came to rest in a water-filled drainage ditch along County Road 20 near 150th Street Northwest. A passerby discovered that wreck shortly before noon on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Fatal crashes are not uncommon in the rural county. Polk County recorded 17 fatal crashes and 20 fatalities from 2017 through 2023, according to data compiled by farsapi.com. Investigators have not released further details on what caused Moen's vehicle to leave the roadway.
