An Iowa ambulance driver apparently got lost and rolled the vehicle, containing two passengers and a victim of an assault.

According to a Mower County Sheriff's Department report, the ambulance driver, Matthew Timmers of Fredricksburg, Iowa, was driving a Chickasaw Ambulance Service vehicle containing two passengers, John Hinkle and James Cook.

The victim was identified and Glen Earl Tank, who was being transferred from a New Hampton, Iowa hospital to St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester.

The mishap occurred 4:44 a.m. Friday along Mower County Highway 7 about two miles west of Interstate 90.

The most direct route from New Hampton, Iowa to Rochester is via U.S. Highway 63.

According to the report, Timmers told Mower County Sheriff's Department investigators "he apparently dozed-off and got lost, because he thought he was a couple of miles north of Spring Valley."

A Mayo One air ambulance was dispatched to the rolled over ambulance after Timmers, the driver, ran two miles to the Windmill Restaurant and Truck Stop to call for help.

The Grand Meadow Ambulance Service and Grand Meadow Volunteer Fire Department were first at the scene to render aid to the victims.

Tank, the assault victim riding in the ambulance, was airlifted to St. Mary's Hospital. The other three passengers in the ambulance were taken by a Grand Meadow Ambulance Service crew to the Rochester hospital.

Tazer captures fugitive

Tazer, the award-winning canine unit of the Mower County Sheriff's Department, was credited with capturing another suspect.

According to a Mower County Sheriff's Department report, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper a vehicle along Interstate 90 last Friday night.

When the car halted and the trooper approached, a 17-year-old male suspect in the vehicle bolted from the scene on foot.

The trooper called the Sheriff's Department for a canine unit and Tazer and his handler, Sheriff's Deputy Jeff Ellis responded.

The suspect was found lying face-down in tall grass along the freeway about three-fourths of a mile from the scene.

The male juvenile resisted, but the canine unit grabbed a hold of him until Deputy Ellis could handcuff the subject and return him to the waiting trooper.

According to the report, the youth apparently panicked, when the trooper observed he detected the odor of marijuana smoke in the vehicle.

Seek vandalism suspects

Northwest Austin residents reported a vandalism fire at Sumner Elementary School Sunday afternoon.

According to an Austin Police Department report, eyewitnesses saw three juvenile females start a fire in a trash can outside the school at 4:04 p.m. Sunday.

Austin police responded and extinguished the garbage can fire.

Three girls found lurking at the scene were questioned, but denied starting the fire and told police that three other girls in the area were suspects.

Northwest Austin residents have been asked to cooperate with Sumner Elementary School officials and police in reporting incidents of vandalism in the area to curb a rash of random acts of violence.

The Austin Fire Department will investigate.

'No open burning'

The last weekend for free leaf collection by the city of Austin has come and gone.

That was Saturday and Sunday at six different collection sites in the city.

Open leaf burning was never allowed, but Austin police still receive reports of citizens breaking the law.

The latest came Sunday afternoon, when police were called to 610 10th Ave. SW to investigate reports of someone burning leaves in the neighborhood.

When an officer arrived, he discovered a pit with boards and bricks atop it and extinguished the blaze.

When the officer went to the door to the home, no one responded to his knocks and yells.

The Austin Police Department will be asked to investigate.

For several years now, the open burning of leaves has been banned inside the Austin city limits.

For information, contact the Austin Police Department at 433-3405.