Man Driving Stolen Vehicle To Stillwater Courthouse Crashes Into Squad Car
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A man is charged after prosecutors say he crashed a pickup truck into an unmarked squad car while trying to get to court in Stillwater.
Investigators say the driver had outstanding warrants, was driving a stolen truck and was found with multiple baggies of methamphetamine.
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Matthew Christopher Dail Kurtenbach, 44, of Chaska, is charged with felony receiving stolen property, felony fifth-degree controlled substance possession and misdemeanor careless driving.
According to the criminal complaint, a Washington County sheriff’s detective was returning to the Law Enforcement Center in Stillwater around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 15 when he observed a blue Ford pickup attempting to turn into the Government Center and courthouse parking lot. The driver missed the turn, abruptly stopped in the roadway and then reversed, backing into the front end of the detective’s unmarked squad car.
The detective approached the driver, who appeared frantic and said he was late for court. When asked for a driver’s license and proof of insurance, the man said he did not know where his license was and handed over paperwork that appeared to be an insurance document. Additional officers arrived while the detective assessed damage to his vehicle, including a cracked front bumper and damage to emergency lights mounted in the grille.
When questioned again about identification, the driver admitted he had active warrants and said he was trying to get to court to avoid receiving another warrant. Officers detained him and located a Minnesota identification card identifying him as Kurtenbach.
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Investigators then noticed the pickup was displaying South Dakota paper dealer permits. The vehicle identification number listed on those permits did not match the truck’s actual VIN. A records check showed the truck, a 2019 Ford F-150, had been reported stolen out of South Dakota.
Kurtenbach was arrested after officers confirmed he had multiple outstanding warrants across the metro area.
During a search of the truck, investigators found a wallet containing a plastic baggie with a white crystalline substance that tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed about 0.1 grams. A second baggie containing methamphetamine weighing about 8.7 grams was located inside a pair of jeans. A third baggie, weighing about 0.9 grams, was found in a backpack on the back seat. All three substances field-tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the complaint.
Kurtenbach was booked into the Washington County Jail, where he remains in custody.
If convicted, the felony stolen property and drug possession charges each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The careless driving charge is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail.
