Snowmobile crash that seriously injured state senator included DNR enforcement chief

The top conservation officer at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was involved in a snowmobile crash last week that seriously injured a state senator — a fact that was not mentioned in the first two accident reports filed by the Morrison County Sheriff's Office.

Col. Rodmen Smith, director of the DNR Enforcement Division, filed his own DNR report on the incident, saying that Sen. John Jasinski, R-Faribault, ran into the back of Smith's snowmobile while Smith slowed to make a 90-degree left turn. They were trail riding with others on a "VIP" event organized by a snowmobile advocacy group.

According to the enforcement chief's report, Jasinski's snowmobile tipped over, and a trailing snowmobile, operated by Sen. Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, ran into Jasinski on the ground. Johnson was not injured, but Jasinski's injuries included a broken pelvis and fractured vertebrae.

"As I ran towards the two snowmobiles, others in the group were already rolling the snowmobiles apart," Smith wrote in his report. "I could see there was an individual that appeared to have been under the snowmobiles.''

He was referring to Jasinski, who was conscious and could speak clearly but was in pain. Jasinski told Smith at the scene that the left turn came up suddenly and that he was slowing to make the turn when the ski on his snowmobile crashed into the rear of the snowmobile track on Smith's machine.

The report notes that other DNR conservation officers went to the site of the crash, including at least three who assisted with safety precautions in the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association's annual Winter Rendezvous ride from Cragun's Resort on Gull Lake to The Castaway Club on Lake Alexander. They all filed separate incident reports.

Conservation officer Stephen Westby wrote about a conversation he had at the scene with Johnson, who told Westby that he was coming over a small hill that was fairly close to the sharp left turn. The senator said he saw "a large cloud of snow and was unable to see anyone or anything.'' He slowed down and attempted to turn out of Jasinski's way but could not avoid the collision, Johnson told Westby.

The crash happened about 12:45 p.m. Feb. 4 along 330th Street in Morrison County south of Shamineau Lake. The group had finished lunch at The Castaway Club, returned to riding and were westbound on a marked snowmobile trail within the road right-of-way. The crash happened where the trail turns south, away from the road. The pile-up was in the ditch beside the road.

"The left turn was not marked with a trail marker indicating the turn ahead," Smith wrote in his report. "As I slowed and started to make the turn, I felt an impact on the rear of my snowmobile."

His report did not say if he was the group leader, where they were headed or how many snowmobiles were in the same group. Smith declined to be interviewed.

"I can tell you that Colonel Smith did not consume alcohol prior to or during the event,'' DNR spokeswoman Gail Nosek said in an email. She provided an overall statement about the crash that said, in part, "Snowmobiling is a fun, family-friendly activity that thousands of Minnesotans enjoy each winter.''

Scott Wakefield, president of the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association, said the ride is part of a weekend program that his lobbying and safety group hosts for legislators and DNR officials. He estimated that nine legislators attended this year's event and five of them joined the ride.

Wakefield noted that riders were split into four groups, with about eight per group. Local guides went out with each group and all riders were prepped with safety information that reminded them to maintain proper spacing. They were reminded of fresh snow that would be churned into "snow dust'' that could impair vision, he said.

Wakefield said he doubted Smith's report that the left turn into the woods was not marked. Local snowmobile clubs are responsible for marking trails and they do an excellent job, he said.

Jasinski was loaded onto a backboard and carried up the ditch to the road. An ambulance took him to the hospital in Staples, and he was later airlifted to North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale. He has since been discharged. Messages were left Wednesday afternoon with Jasinski seeking to learn more about the crash and get an update on his recovery. Johnson declined to be interviewed, referring questions to Senate Republican spokesperson Rachel Aplikowski.

Smith was not injured, and he reported that his DNR snowmobile was not damaged. The Polaris 850 sleds ridden by Johnson and Jasinski were loaded onto a trailer and returned to Cragun's, the DNR reports said. The windshield on the sled Jasinski was riding was broken off.

Conservation officer Westby said in his report that he contacted Morrison County dispatch to have a sheriff's deputy take over the investigation because "a Minnesota Conservation Officer was involved in the crash.''

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Morrison County Sheriff's Office filed a follow-up investigative report that offered a third and more detailed version of the crash. The latest report noted that Jasinski and Johnson were riding 2022 snowmobiles owned by Polaris, "demo models with no registration displayed."

Also in the group, the report noted, was Smith, the DNR enforcement director. He told sheriff's deputy Mark Dziewczynski at the crash scene that Jasinski and Johnson were state senators, and "they are requesting that [the Morrison County Sheriff's Office] write the crash," the report read.

The follow-up report said that "Jasinski might have been traveling a little bit too fast heading into a left-hand turn in the trail and clipped the back of the snowmobile ridden by Chief Rod Smith, and then Jasinski's snowmobile rolled, causing him to fly off the machine receiving injuries." A prior report indicated Jasinski and Johnson were driving 10 mph.

Jasinski's snowmobile was then hit by Johnson's machine, the report continued.

Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Mary Swenson said that law enforcement did not test any of the snowmobile operators for alcohol- or drug-related impairment because there was no evidence that anyone was under the influence at the time of the crash.

Dzieweczynski, who wrote the revised report, said he asked Johnson, 38, whether he had a valid snowmobile safety certificate, which is required of anyone born since Jan. 1, 1977. Johnson explained that he has a certificate, and it was noted on his driver's license. However, the endorsement "did not transfer over" when he received his enhanced driver's license, the report read. The deputy wrote that the same scenario happened to him but advised Johnson that he would have to provide the certificate upon law enforcement's request.

Aplikowski said Johnson went to the DNR office in St. Paul and got his snowmobile safety certificate.

Swenson said Smith's presence at the scene was not initially noted because his "snowmobile received no damage, and he was not injured."