The 21-year-old son of former Inver Grove Heights Police Chief Larry Stanger was killed Sunday night in a western Wisconsin car crash, authorities said.
Jacob Stanger was driving his 2008 Infiniti G37 east on U.S. 10 near County Road O in the town of Trimbelle when it collided head-on with a westbound 2012 Ford F-350 at about 10:15 p.m., said Andrew Thoms, a patrol sergeant with the Pierce County sheriff’s department.
Stanger, of Cottage Grove, was pronounced dead at the scene. Trimbelle is between Prescott and Ellsworth.
The driver of the F-350, Charles Hill, 38, of Ellsworth was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with undetermined injuries. A hospital spokeswoman said Monday afternoon that he was in fair condition.
Cottage Grove police officers notified Larry Stanger of his son’s death Sunday night. Thoms said he also spoke with Stanger.
“It’s tough for anybody,” Thoms said.
The Wisconsin State Patrol is investigating the crash, Thoms said. There was no indication at the scene that alcohol played a part, he said.
“All of that, including toxicology tests, will be part of the investigation,” Thoms said.
On Feb. 9, Jacob Stanger posted a picture of his Infiniti G37 on his Facebook page. He wrote that he had just bought the car in Illinois.
Larry Stanger resigned as police chief of Inver Grove Heights in December after investigators determined that he inadvertently tipped off the owner of a Prescott, Wis., auto-detailing business that the building would be searched for stolen construction vehicles.
An investigation found that the business owner learned of the search beforehand because Stanger had asked his son Jacob questions about the building. Jacob Stanger and the business owner’s son were friends.