Rochester Man Sentenced to Probation For Fatal Traffic Incident

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A former Rochester man has been sentenced to five years probation for convictions stemming from a fatal traffic crash that occurred about two years ago.

43-year-old Will Hanson, who now has a Hermantown address, was convicted of a fifth-degree drug possession charge and a misdemeanor DWI charge in connection with the death of 48-year-old Joseph Rodriguez. The Rochester man was killed on the night of May 15, 2021, when he was struck by a pickup driven by Hanson. He told police that he was driving around 45 mph in the 2400 block of 20th Street Southeast when Rodriguez appeared in front of his vehicle waving his arms and he did not have enough time to stop.

According to the criminal complaint, the police officers called to the scene noticed Hanson exhibiting signs of impairment. About 3.5 grams of meth and drug paraphernalia were found in his pickup. The court record also says a blood sample from Hanson later tested positive for the presence of amphetamines and methamphetamines.