Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. - 1220 Main Avenue, Suite 105, Fargo, North Dakota 58103

Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Reckless Driving

On Wednesday, February 24 a man pleaded guilty to aggravated reckless driving which led to the death of a woman.

The accident happened in August 2014 when 54 year old Lisa Knudson of Portland was on her bicycle on Highway 200 near Finley, North Dakota, a route she rode often. She was hit by a vehicle driven by 36 year old Matthew Kelly Strand of Niagara and killed.

Initially Strand was said to have been using his cell phone to take a selfie and he was charged with negligent homicide. This was reduced to the current charge under a plea agreement and he was sentenced to serve six months in Traill County jail with half to be served at home on electronic monitoring. In addition, Strand must pay more than $1,000 in fines and fees and serve one year of unsupervised probation.

Had he been convicted of the original charge he would have faced faced five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for negligent homicide.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

How to Make Your Brakes Last

When it comes to the brakes on your car the way you drive can affect their performance and how long they last.

One of the biggest enemies for brakes is stopping when you have been travelling at high speed. The faster you are driving when you need to brake, the more heat is suffered by the brakes and the hotter they become, the quicker they wear down.

Another major issue is that you should always only use your right foot to brake. This way, you will not be braking and accelerating at the same time. You should also anticipate when you will have to stop, such as at an intersection or a stop sign or traffic lights. Start to slow down well ahead of time, and rather than use the brakes, take your foot off the accelerator and allow the car to coast a while and slow down naturally, before using the brakes to come to a final stop. This will significantly reduce wear on the brakes.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

Fargo Man Causes Significant Damage

On Sunday afternoon, December 6 man from Fargo caused significant damage to a number of vehicles in the 3000 block of 8th Street North.

According to police, the incident happened at approximately 3 p.m. a 30 year old unnamed male was driving along 8th Street North when he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of 30th Avenue North. He struck a parked car, which was pushed in to another vehicle and then careered across two front yards before hitting two other parked cars.

Police have confirmed that they are investigating the possibility that the man suffered a medical condition which caused the incident or if he is to be charged with reckless driving. They have stated that he was not under the influence of drink or drugs.

Neighbors received information that the man was using his phone while driving and that he stated that his steering wheel locked up. The driver was not injured and there were no other reported causalities

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

Pulling a Trailer Safely

Whether you are new to pulling a trailer or have some experience, some basic safety checks before your journey will ensure you trip is safe as possible. Firstly don’t overload your trailer and check the maximum capacity of the hitch and tongue. The tongue weight should be 10% to 15% of the overall weight so that the trailer does not sway. Place heavier cargo in front of the trailer’s axle and place the cargo from left to right securing the load so that it does not slide about.

Potholes and speed bumps that do not cause any problems normally need to be reconsidered when pulling a trailer. Hazards such as this can damage the trailer or hitch so you need to slow down and take your time. Keep your speed down at all times as driving at lower speed gives you more control and more time to react; keep the steering wheel steady and avoid sudden turns which can cause sway. If you find your trailer continually swaying, consider stopping and redistributing the weight inside the trailer.

Always brake gradually to avoid the trailer jack knifing and allow plenty of time and room to pass other vehicles and to change lanes. Allowing plenty of time for your journey will ensure that you drive in a calm controlled way.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

Two People Injured in Accident in Cass County

On Sunday, October 4 two people were injured in an accident in Cass County on I 94.

According to authorities, the accident happened at around 5 p.m. on the I 94 around six miles west of Casselton. Pamela Fehr, aged 19, of Wimbledon was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Impala westbound on the interstate when she crossed the median and collided with a 2007 GMC Sierra Pickup driven by 20 year old Jared Hineman, who was travelling eastbound. Both vehicles spun in the road with the pickup ending up in a ditch, rolling and coming to rest on its roof.

There were no passengers in either vehicle and both drivers, who were wearing seat belts, were taken by Casselton Ambulance to Essentia Health in Fargo suffering from minor injuries. It is not known what caused Fehr to lose control of her vehicle and the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

North Dakota Highway Patrol have not ruled out bringing charges against Fehr.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

School Bus Driver Seriously Injured in Bus Crash

On Friday morning, September 25, a school bus driver was seriously injured in a bus crash.

According to North Dakota Highway Patrol the accident happened shortly before 9 a.m. on North Dakota Highway 46 near Richland County Road 1. A Kindred School District bus was traveling eastbound on the Highway when it hit a semi being driven by 55 year old Eldon Burdick of Kindred. At the time of the collision the semi was trying to turn west onto Highway 46 from County Road when it was hit by the bus.

It took emergency crews 40 minutes to extricate the driver of the bus, 64 year old Cathryn Jostad of Kindred and she was taken to Essentia Health in Fargo. None of the passengers on the bus, 34 fourth graders, two teachers and a paraprofessional were injured.

Following the accident, the bus and the semi came to a stop on Highway 46, and shortly afterwards a westbound semi on Highway 46 which was being driven by 60 year old Jerry Mallet of Buffalo, hit the first semi and then a third semi being driven by 68 year old Wesley Briggs of Kindred narrowly avoided a collision and managed to stop on the shoulder. Finally a fourth semi, driven by 66 year old Charles Odegaard of Walcott rear ended the trailer being towed by Mallet and pushed him into the trailer towed by Briggs.

All of the carnage was due to the weather as there was dense fog making it impossible to see clearly ahead.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

Fargo Truck Driver Died in Rollover Crash

On Tuesday morning, August 18, a Fargo truck driver died in a rollover crash.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol the accident happened shortly after 10 a.m. when the truck, being driven by a 58 year old man, was on Cass County Road 38 in Alice some 47 miles southwest of Fargo, and towing an empty bell dump trailer.

The driver started to drive around a curve in the road but the truck drifted onto the west shoulder. He overcorrected and the truck flipped ending upside down in a ditch. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and he was discovered crushed underneath the truck having been partially ejected.

He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Police say that the accident is still under investigation and have so far no released the name of the driver.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

Woman from Fargo has Brush with Death

On Sunday night, July 19, a woman from Fargo closely missed death.

The accident happened around 10.30 p.m. in the 100 block of 18th Street South. Amy Zastrow, from Fargo was walking to her car to take things out of the trunk when decided to first go and change the cat’s litter tray in her apartment. She turned around to walk back when she heard the crash and saw a speeding truck which slammed into the back of her car at around 60 miles an hour. The impact was so severe that her car was pushed into two other vehicles. The truck which hit her car then reversed and drove off.

According to police, not long after the crash, the driver, 47 year old Harold Heitmann of Gardner, N.D. turned himself in. He said that he had realized he could have killed or seriously injured someone and was arrested for having no insurance, leaving the scene of an accident and DUI.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

Man Driving Drunk Causes Head on Collision

On Saturday afternoon, June 6, a man driving drunk caused a head on collision, injuring four people.

According to the police the accident happened shortly before 4.30 in the 2300 block of Sheyenne Street a few blocks south of Interstate 94 exit.

A red SUV was trying to turn north onto Sheyenne Street but took the turn too wide and went into the southbound lane where it collided head on with a silver minivan heading south. Both vehicles were total wrecks.

In the SUV the driver, 39 year old Joseph Lorenz of West Fargo and passenger Joshua Fugelberg also of West Fargo were both taken to Essentia Hospital suffering from head injuries, having hit the windshield. In the minivan, the driver, 62 year old Mohamed Sharif Sharif-Mohamud and passenger 19 year old Sahra Mohamed Sharif-Hassan, both also of West Fargo, were both wearing seat belts and had non life threatening injuries and were taken to Sanford Hospital.

According to the police, Lorenz, the driver of the SUV, will be charged with DUI.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

Crop Duster Crash Sends Man to Hospital

On the afternoon of Monday, May 25, a man had to be taken to hospital following a crash in his crop duster near the Casselton Regional Airport.

According to the state Highway Patrol, the plane was a Piper PA25 Pawnee and it was flying north about a mile south of the airport when it struck a power line and crashed. The Airport Manager said that the plane was on its way back to the airport when it became tangled in the power lines, which he said had never caused any problems before.

The pilot was a 70 year old man, and believed to be very experienced. So far neither his name nor the extent of his injuries is known although it is thought he was able to walk away from the crash before being transported to Sanford hospital in Fargo.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.