Stephen Gretsch, 64, spent his Friday morning doing what so many Minnesota riders love—heading out on the open highway with good company. By noon, a quiet ride through Stearns County turned into a sudden tragedy along a stretch of country road.
Gretsch, a resident of Albany, was traveling southbound on County Road 50 on September 4, 2026. He was riding his 2008 Harley-Davidson Road King alongside two other motorcyclists. They were cruising through Wakefield Township, about a mile and a half north of Cold Spring, when the group reached a bend near Glenwood Road.
As the other bikes followed the curve, Gretsch’s Harley continued straight. The motorcycle left the pavement and went right into the ditch running along the southbound lane.
The impact was severe. Investigators found evidence that the heavy Harley rolled multiple times after leaving the road. Before coming to a stop, the bike struck a fiber-optic cable box and slammed into a utility pole, leaving heavy damage scattered across the grass.
A 911 call came into the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center at 11:52 a.m. Cold Spring police officers were the first to pull up to the scene. They found Gretsch and his damaged motorcycle down in the ditch.
Responders worked quickly, starting life-saving measures right there on the grass. Emergency crews from Cold Spring Fire and Rescue and Mayo Ambulance joined in the effort, doing everything they could to save him. Despite their hard work, Gretsch died from his injuries at the scene.
Authorities are still looking into why the motorcycle went straight at the curve, though investigators confirmed alcohol was not a factor in the crash. For the two riders who were with him that morning, a routine ride ended in an instant, leaving a close-knit community grieving a friend who never made it back home.
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