Updated information on the fatal crash involving truck and pedestrian/horse

Rlease from Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office:

Updated 6/15/22@0900 hours
Crow Wing County Sheriff Scott Goddard reports June 13 th , 2022, at approximately 6:56 pm, Crow Wing
County Deputies responded to a report of a personal injury accident in the area of 13519 Thompson
Road, Brainerd.

Deputies arrived on the scene and learned that a pick-up truck was traveling east on Thompson Road
when it struck a horse and a female walking the horse on the shoulder of the road walking west. The
female was determined to be deceased along with the horse. The victim was identified as a 33-year-old
Katie Marie Yaunick. Yaunick lived on Thompson Road near the area of the accident. The driver of the
pick-up was identified as a 44-year-old Matthew Richard Dircks of Brainerd. Dircks was driving home to
his residence at the time of the accident and was not injured.

The crash is currently under investigation by the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Patrol. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Brainerd Fire, North Ambulance, Zone 1 First
Responders, and the Minnesota State Patrol.