The tight-knit Douglas County community is dealing with a heavy cloud of grief this week. A familiar face and a beloved neighbor, James Schlosser, is gone. The 65-year-old Alexandria resident lost his life Thursday evening in a devastating motorcycle crash that has left everyone who knew him completely reeling.
It was just after 7:00 p.m. when the peaceful summer evening took a horrific turn. Schlosser was out riding his motorcycle, just enjoying the open road. He was passing through the intersection of County Road 45 and Lakota Drive Southwest when the unthinkable happened. A sudden collision brought his journey to a tragic halt.
Emergency calls went out right away, and by a stroke of pure luck, help was already right around the corner. A North Memorial Ambulance happened to be driving nearby when the dispatch crackled to life. Because they were so close, paramedics managed to pull up to the scene within mere minutes.
They weren’t alone for long. Sirens cut through the evening air as Douglas County sheriff’s deputies and officers from the Alexandria Police Department rushed to the intersection. First responders worked quickly to secure the area and tend to the heavily injured motorcyclist.
Schlosser had sustained critical, life-threatening injuries from the impact of the crash. Paramedics rushed him over to Alomere Health Hospital under emergency lights. Doctors and medical staff fought hard to save him, but his injuries were simply too severe. He ultimately passed away at the hospital.
On the other side of the crash was a 16-year-old local boy. The teenager was driving a pickup truck when the two vehicles collided. While investigators have confirmed his age and town, authorities have chosen to hold back any further details about what exactly went down in the moments leading up to the impact.
Right now, the Minnesota State Patrol is stepping in to help with a full crash reconstruction to piece together the final seconds of the accident. Meanwhile, the neighborhood is wrapping its arms around Schlosser’s grieving family. It is a painful reminder of how quickly things can go wrong on the road, and the town is mourning a good man taken way too soon.
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