BRAINERD, Minn. -- A Michigan man was given 10 years probation for his role in a two-vehicle crash on Crow Wing County Roads 3 and 11 that claimed the life of Myrne Holmen of Crosslake, Minn.
Michael Adam Ermel, 44, Battle Creek, Mich., was sentenced last month in Crow Wing District Court to 57 months in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud, with sentence stayed for 10 years for felony criminal vehicular homicide operation-operating a motor vehicle in grossly negligent manner. Ermel will be on probation but could serve a 57-month prison sentence if he violates his probation.
According to the criminal complaint, Ermel failed to stop his semi at a stop sign at last April 24 and Holmen struck his truck’s drive wheel axles. Holmen later died at a St. Cloud hospital.
Ermel had bloodshot eyes that were not all the way open and he appeared tired, said law officers who talked to him at the scene. After first denying it, Ermel later admitted he had not seen the stop sign until it was too late. He had started driving at 3 a.m. that day, the accident happened at 12:30 p.m.
