Brian Richard Vonwahlde

On March 24, 2026, at approximately 7:21 P.M., Troopers of the Minnesota State Patrol responded to reports of a commercial vehicle striking a bridge and losing its load on I-494 in Bloomington, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Troopers arrived on scene and discovered that a tractor trailer operated by BRIAN RICHARD VONWAHLDE [DOB REDACTED], DEFENDANT herein, had struck the Highway 77 overpass extending over I-494 at approximately 55 miles per hour causing the load, consisting of metal scaffolding, to fall and enter the roadway.

The load then struck an automobile injuring the operator, VICTIM [NAME REDACTED] VICTIM [NAME REDACTED] suffered an amputation of the right thumb, a permanent loss and impairment of a bodily member constituting great bodily harm. Troopers contacted DEFENDANT who explained that he had measured his load to be 13 feet and 8 inches in height. DEFENDANT also told officers that he did not have an “over dimensional permit” as required by MNDOT regulation for all loads exceeding 13 feet and 6 inches, did not preplan the route, nor did he comply with the posted height of the bridge.

DEFENDANT admitted that he assumed all bridges were at least 16 feet high. Further, Troopers then measured the load at the scene and discovered it to be approximately 15 feet and 3 inches in height. The height of the bridge was posted as 15 feet and 4 inches. DEFENDANT’s actions are consistent with gross negligence due to the absence of slight diligence or care to a degree exceeding simple inadvertence or ordinary negligence. DEFENDANT possesses a valid class A CDL. DEFENDANT is not presently in custody.