Fraudulent marijuana deal results in car pursuit, crash

By Brandi Makuski

What began as a report of a roll-over in a ditch near State Hwy. 66 and Cty. Trunk CC in Rosholt ended with four arrests on Jan. 6.

When county deputies located the one-vehicle crash scene shortly after 9:30 PM they found its three occupants- 19-year-old Trent J. Duda, David A. King, 19, and 18-year-old Maverick M. King, who was driving- uninjured. According to police documents, Maverick King told deputies they were traveling west on Hwy. 66 when someone driving a blue minivan began to follow them.

David King. (Courtesy Portage Co. Jail)

According to police records, Maverick King said he attempted to get away from the minivan, but not before the minivan’s driver, later identified as Sidney S. Hartvig, 20 of Rosholt, ran into the back of King’s vehicle, causing King to lose control of his vehicle, which then entered a ditch and rolled over.

Maverick King, David King and Duda all told law enforcement they did not know the driver, or why they were pursued.

While deputies were interviewing the trio, another squad unit was called to Bull Pen Bar in Rosholt, where a man there- identified as Hartvig- initially reported an unknown person smashed the back window of his minivan with a baseball bat.

Later, Hartvig admitted to having followed the pickup truck driven by Maverick King. According to the report, he told deputies he paid the three men $100 for what he believed was marijuana earlier that evening, but later discovered it was regular tobacco.

Sidney S. Hartvig. (Courtesy Portage Co. Jail)

Hartvig told authorities he began to “chase the truck” in his minivan, eventually rear-ending the vehicle, causing it to leave the road.

Following the accident, Hartvig said he turned his minivan around to return to Rosholt, and when he passed the scene of the rolled-over truck his minivan was struck with a baseball bat, and then “the bat was thrown through the back window”, according to the report.

When the trio was asked about the new information from Hartvig, the three stuck to their original story. Duda, David King and Maverick King were all arrested for obstruction.

Maverick King will face additional charges including recklessly endangering safety and criminal damage to property.

Hartvig was also arrested and placed in jail, charged with recklessly endangering safety.

All four return to court on Jan. 25.