MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Authorities have identified the two men killed in a hit-and-run in western Wisconsin Saturday night.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said at 6:30 p.m. Saturday the two men were hit by a vehicle that was traveling southbound on County Highway E in northeastern Polk County.
Officials say the two men were involved in some kind of altercation on the road — either verbal or physical — when a pick-up truck came down the road and hit both of them.
The victims died at the scene.
On Monday morning, the two victims were identified as 41-year-old Richard Cobenais, Jr. of rural Luck, Wis. and 28-year-old Benjamin Juarez of Frederic, Wis.
Authorities are now looking for a black pickup truck — possibly a Ford F-150 extended cab — that could have front-end damage and certainly would have damage underneath the vehicle. At a press conference on Sunday afternoon, police said there could be a blue barrel in the back of the pickup, with amber-colored lights on top of the cab.
Witnesses told authorities after the collision, two white men inside the truck got out of the vehicle, had some sort of exchange, then got back into the truck and drove away.
“They wouldn’t have stopped if they had not known they had hit something. It was a significant enough collision to leave the two fellows dead,” Polk County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Steven Moe said.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the two possible suspects in the pickup truck were wearing baseball caps and at least one man was wearing blue jeans. The driver is about 6-feet-tall and the passenger is estimated to be 5-foot-7 – both with medium to thin build.
Authorities said the incident is still under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. St. Croix Tribal Police are also assisting with the investigation.
