Tom Christopherson escaped injury early Thursday morning when the motor vehicle he was driving struck a guard rail.

Friday, December 03, 1999

Tom Christopherson escaped injury early Thursday morning when the motor vehicle he was driving struck a guard rail.

According to a Mower County Sheriff’s Department report, Christopherson was eastbound on Interstate 90 near the west edge of Austin, when the mishap occurred.

The driver, who was alone in his vehicle, attempted to avoid a deer in the roadway.

A total of 108 feet of cable and 9 posts along the guardrail were damaged and required a Minnesota Department of Transportation crew’s attention later Thursday.

Because of a gas spill from the Christopherson vehicle, the Austin Fire Department sent a crew to the scene.

Good deed ‘backfires’

David Schrafel was apparently trying to be a good Samaritan when he allowed Cindy Ingersoll to have her mobile home parked on his property in Section 15, Dexter Township.

However, Schrafel’s good deed resulted in the theft of items from his home by a son of Ingersoll’s.

According to a Mower County Sheriff’s Department report, Schrafel told investigators Ingersoll came to his residence in early November and asked if she could park a mobile home on his property, while it was repaired.

Schrafel agreed and the following day, Jonathan Nold, 20 and a son of Ingersoll’s, came onto Schrafel’s property and began work on the trailer. Nold also asked Schrafel if he could use the bathroom in his home while working on the trailer and the property owner agreed.

When Schrafel went into the trailer one day to find Nold, he discovered items from his home.

Upon further investigation Schrafel discovered no less than 22 items missing from his home and placed an estimated value of $1,500 on the items.

He contacted the Mower County Sheriff’s Department Wednesday. The thefts are believed to have occurred between Nov. 5 and 15, when Schrafel ordered Nold off his property and informed his mother about the thefts.

According to the Sheriff’s Department report, Ingersoll gave Nold $40 and said "she would get the rest of the money later."

It is unknown if all the items have been returned.

According to Sheriff Barry J. Simonson, the incident is being treated as a criminal case and the investigation continues.