By Grace Jacobson / News Director

ROCKVILLE, Minn. — A Rockville man claims he wasn’t the one driving when he crashed into a utility pole in Stearns County.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says around 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, 61-year-old Michael Hermanutz of Rockville was driving eastbound on 1st Street West in Rockville when he crossed the center line and hit a power pole near County Road 139.

Deputies say Hermanutz denied driving the car and claimed it was actually a family member that’d been driving.

Witnesses say Hermanutz was sitting in the driver’s seat when they came to check on him after the crash.

Investigators believe alcohol to be a contributing factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.

Hermanutz sustained minor injuries.