Man charged in hit and run case

WILLMAR, Minn. — Gary Lee Mattson, 56, of Willmar, has been cited with three misdemeanor charges for allegedly running his vehicle over a blind man on Nov. 16.

The incident left Thomas Dennis Sykora, 58, of Willmar, with numerous broken ribs, plus a broken scapula, or shoulder blade, and a broken ankle that required surgery to repair.

Sykora was taken by ambulance to Rice Memorial Hospital and was later airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital.

He spent four weeks in that hospital and is now at home and recovering, according to his page at the caringbridge.org Web site, which offers people a way to communicate with friends and family about health- and injury-related situations.

The charges against Mattson include citations for failure to yield right of way to a blind pedestrian, failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and hit and run from a personal-injury accident.

His next court appearance is Feb. 24.

According to the reports accompanying the citation, Mattson initially denied running over the man or striking anything with his vehicle. About three hours after the incident, he submitted to a breath test for alcohol, which was negative, and a blood test, which was also negative.

Gretchen Schlosser is a reporter at the West Central Tribune in Willmar, Minn., which is owned by

Forum Communications Co.

Tags: hit and run, news, crime