Former Lake County Ambulance employee cited after pickup lands in Two Harbors road construction pit

• Pickup in the pit

A resident of Two Harbors’ Waterfront Drive took this picture Sept. 13 after a pickup truck landed in a construction pit where the town’s main north-south street is being reconstructed. (Jeff Ryder / for the News-Chronicle)

Talk about it

A former Lake County Ambulance squad employee was arrested for driving while intoxicated after his pickup truck ended up in a construction pit where crews are rebuilding Two Harbors’ Waterfront Drive.

Two Harbors police arrested Nels Matthew Coleman, 21, of Silver Bay at 11:01 p.m. Sept. 13 after receiving a call for a vehicle in the three-block-long gravel and dirt pit where the town’s main north-south street is being reconstructed.

“[Caller] says his vehicle is stuck. [Caller] is crying,” the police report states. The responding officer wrote that a local towing company was called “and told them they might need two trucks and not sure how they are going to get it out.”

An employee at Reliable Auto Lube & Repair confirmed the call, telling the News-Chronicle it took about two hours to get the truck out but only one tow truck was needed.

Waterfront Drive resident Jeff Ryder said he witnessed the accident — after the truck was in the pit.

“We were still up and had no idea that anything was going on outside,” he said. “My daughter looked outside and saw a deputy give a field sobriety test to a person but she did not see the truck at the time. Later I heard a truck outside, which turned out to be Reliable towing, and that is when I went outside to see what was going on. By the time I went out the driver was taken away.”

Ryder was able to snap a picture of the stranded vehicle, however.

“I was [surprised] that the truck had made it through the intersection of Waterfront and Second Avenue as they had just done major work on it Friday and Saturday and [there were] still low spots to get stuck in,” he said.

Coleman could not be reached for comment Tuesday. A relative at his Silver Bay home said he was in school in Two Harbors.

Police did not give any indication that Coleman was hurt and the report does not mention a call for an ambulance.

Lake County Ambulance, which provides ambulance service for the county, confirmed that Coleman had been an employee but said he no longer works for the company. He was doing ride-alongs with the squad for training.

No date of his departure was given or if it was related to the accident.

Waterfront Drive update

Despite the brief presence of an uninvited pickup truck among the dirt and gravel of Waterfront Drive, work seems to be coming along nicely.

On Monday, cement was poured on Waterfront Drive to make curbs.

According to Lake County engineer Al Goodman, the project continues on schedule.

The contractor’s plans are as follows: Finish the sidewalk work along the southerly phase this week (Sept. 23-25). Complete landscaping, including tree planting, the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 2, and pave the roadway the week of Oct. 5-9.

“Some minor clean-up may remain after that date; however, with the landscaping going in earlier, this should be just about a wrap,” Goodman said. “There will be separate work by the city of Two Harbors to place the ornamental lighting; this will take place into the fall and early winter.”

Tags: two harbors, auto repair, silver bay, news, police, crime, alcohol, auto, autobody