Man killed after vehicle hits tree

A 19-year-old man was killed in a single vehicle crash involving a tree early Saturday morning in Steele County.
Sheriff Lon Thiele identified the victim as Brett Alan Delhanty of Owatonna. Thiele said Delhanty was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in the 3600 block of Lemond Road, also known as County Road 7, south of Owatonna around 5:20 a.m. Saturday.
When emergency responders arrived on the scene, they found the vehicle and tree on fire, Thiele said. Mayo One helicopter landed at the scene, but did not transport Delhanty as he was already deceased, he added.
Thiele said Delhanty was the lone occupant in the vehicle, which was traveling northbound on Lemond Road.
Mayo Ambulance and Owatonna Fire assisted the Sheriff’s Office at the scene of the crash. Thiele said the State Patrol also helped by performing a reconstruction of the crash.
No further details would be released about the crash as it remains under investigation, Thiele said, adding an autopsy was being performed on Delhanty to help determine what happened.
Saturday’s crash was in the same area as a fatal head-on between two dump trucks in July 2020. However, Thiele cautions people to not draw any conclusions about the safety of the roadway as a medical condition with one of the drivers was found to be the major factor in the 2020 crash.
This is the first fatality in Steele County in 2022.