Benkelman man dies in harvest-related accident

    Law enforcement officers and EMS responded quickly Sunday after a Benkelman man was pinned between two semis waiting to unload grain, one block west of Wauneta’s main street.
    A Nebraska State Patrol email reported Brian Stute, 54, was pronounced deceased at Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial, where he was transported by Wauneta EMS after the accident.
    Chase County Deputies Mike Dukes and Duncan Einspahr were on scene after the 2:10 p.m. call came in, said Sheriff Kevin Mueller. Deputy Rob Browning responded to the hospital.
    The State Patrol was dispatched about 2:45 p.m., when called in to assist the sheriff’s office.
    Stute had parked his semi in preparation to unload at the Frenchman Valley Coop elevator, according to the State Patrol’s statement from Cody Thomas, public relations director.
    Stute was at the rear of the trailer unrolling the tarp when another semi, driven by Kara Bley, 40, of Wauneta arrived and parked behind Stute.
    Bley exited the semi to speak with Stute, but the semi rolled forward down a slope, pinning Stute between the vehicles, the statement continued.
    Law enforcement closed down a section of Arapahoe Street south of the railroad tracks as they investigated.
    For the rest of the day, FVC rerouted harvest grain trucks to their elevators in Palisade and Imperial, said Ken Pilsl, vice president of grain.
    Sheriff Mueller said they continue to assist the Patrol in the investigation.
    Stute was a lifelong resident of Dundy County and had two sons, Cole and Seth, with his wife, Trina.
    Stute, whose hobbies included coyote hunting, worked as a brand inspector and ran cattle with his dad, Larry, who died in 2013.
    He was hauling grain for Joe and Jeff Maris on Sunday, Sheriff Mueller said.
    No citations have been issued. The sheriff said that it will be County Attorney Arlan Wine’s decision if there are any charges filed, once he reviews all of the reports.
    The sheriff’s office requested that the State Patrol handle the investigation, Thomas said. NSP has a Carrier Enforcement Division that specifically focuses on commercial vehicles.
    It’s common, Thomas added, for local agencies to request NSP Carrier Enforcement to conduct post-crash inspections on commercial vehicles.
    Services for Stute are scheduled July 20 in Benkelman. See the death notice on page 4 in this week’s issue for more information.