Posted at: 07/26/2010 6:46 PM
By: Brianna Long

Print Story  Email to a Friend

County Finishes Crash Investigation

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- Two days after a helicopter crashes near Eyota, Olmsted County authorities say they've finished their investigation. One person was killed when the chopper went down on Saturday.

"The preliminary autopsy report from the Olmsted County Coroner's office has shown that the pilot died due to injuries received as a result of the crash," says Sergeant Scott Behrns from the Olmsted County Sheriff's Department.

The Olmsted County Sheriff's office has wrapped up its investigation into why a helicopter crashed near Eyota Saturday. The crash killed California pilot Allen Broussard.

"For us, there's not much more that we can do. We've determined that there's nothing criminal about this," says Behrns.

It's something neighbor Kasia Ludescher will never forget.

"When I heard that I felt so sad because, here we were resting and all serene, and then to know that somebody was suffering, just a couple blocks away," says Ludescher.

Jerome Lawler also lives nearby. He owns one of the fields Broussard was spraying with insecticide just before he crashed.

"I just happened to be outside here when I heard a chopper doing my sweet corn," says Lawler.

Neighbors say they see the choppers all the time. So, they didn't think anything of it, until they heard the devastating news.

"It was tragic, when you hear of a death close by," says Lawler.

"I just feel bad for his family. And I hope that he went down doing something that he loved and that his family is ok," says Ludescher.

It wasn't any easier for investigators.

"Its difficult because somebody's lost a husband, a father, a brother. It takes a traumatic toll on our people too," says Behrns.

Now that the investigation is over, they hope everyone can start to move on. While Olmsted County has finished its investigation, we still don't know why the helicopter crashed. The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating and is expected to release a preliminary report within 30 days.