UPDATE: Highway Patrol locates driver and vehicle involved in Cass County crash

4/27/26 4:50p.m. UPDATE: The vehicle and driver have been located. There is no longer a need from the public in reference to this crash. Thank you for the tips and assistance.

LEONARD, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – The North Dakota Highway Patrol is asking for the public’s help finding the driver of a white Ford Escape that crashed into a field five miles southeast of Leonard.

Troopers responded to a report of a crash at the intersection of Cass County Road 9 and State Highway 46 Sunday around 10:30 p.m. They say the Escape was southbound on the county road and did not stop at a stop sign.

The SUV crossed Highway 46, entered a field, and crashed through a barbed wire fence. A witness says the driver got back into the vehicle, drove through the field, and headed south on 155th Avenue SE.

Officers tried to find the vehicle, but were unsuccessful. There was vehicle debris and a paper dealer plate at the scene.

Investigators say the Escape will have front end damage and may have barbed wire hanging from it.

Anyone with information should call the Highway Patrol. If you see the vehicle, do not approach it or the driver and call 911.