**Lee Edmond Defoe dies in fatal Mahnomen County car crash**
Fatal Mahnomen County car crash death of Lee Edmond Defoe
Officials from the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the tragic discovery of a body located in a ditch situated just south of Mahnomen. The circumstances surrounding the death appear consistent with a vehicle striking a pedestrian incident.
According to reports issued by the Sheriff’s Office, the incident involved a man who has been identified as 40-year-old Lee Edmond Defoe from Waubun, Minnesota. He was found lying injured in a ditch near the intersection of Highway 59 and 160th Avenue. The precise location is approximately two miles south of Mahnomen and the time of discovery was around 6:00 a.m. on Friday, July 18th.
Initial assessments indicate that Mr. Defoe was the victim of being struck by a car. Medical personnel pronounced him deceased at the scene before emergency services arrived.
Separately, the authorities located the vehicle involved in the collision parked on 160th Avenue, north of the ditch where the victim was found. The driver of this vehicle has now been identified as 39-year-old Zachary John Mehr from St. Cloud, Minnesota. Mr. Mehr is currently in the custody of law enforcement.
The Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office is collaborating with the White Earth Police Department and the Minnesota State Patrol as they work to complete their investigation into this fatal accident.
