By: Kayla Williams / Asst. News Director

WAKEFIELD TWP., Minn.— An Albany man has died after crashing his motorcycle in Wakefield Township.

On Friday September, 4, around 11:50 a.m., 64-year-old Stephen Gretsch was driving southbound on County Road 50 with two other motorcyclists when the group hit a curve in the road, and Gretsch’s continued straight. His motorcycle left the roadway and entered the ditch.

Gretsch was not wearing a helmet, according to the media release from the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office. Officers on the scene attempted life-saving measures, but Gretsch was pronounced dead at the scene.

The motorcycle itself sustained critical damage and had rolled during the crash, where a fiber optic cable box and utility pole were hit and damaged.

According to the release, alcohol is not believed to have been a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at 320-251-4240.