Farm Accident Claims Life of Eric Segaar in North Folk Township

On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at approximately 5:47 p.m., deputies from the Stearns County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported farm accident in the 26000 block of County Road 201 in North Folk Township, Minnesota, located roughly four miles northeast of Brooten. Authorities discovered Eric Scott Segaar, a 46-year-old resident of Brooten, pinned beneath a large John Deere DB66 corn planter. According to investigators, the planter, which was experiencing hydraulic malfunctions, "suddenly and unexpectedly" lowered to the ground while Segaar was performing maintenance on it.

Despite efforts to free Segaar from the equipment and the application of life-saving measures by first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident underscores the inherent risks associated with operating and maintaining heavy agricultural machinery.