Police chief: Video shows Fargo Marathon director lose control of bike, fall into traffic

Mark Knutson died Sunday after being hit by a pickup towing a boat in Detroit Lakes.

July 11, 2023 at 10:21PM
Mark Knutson (Detroit Mountain Recreation Area/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A resident's home security footage shows Mark Knutson, the general manager of a Detroit Lakes ski resort and director of the Fargo Marathon, lose control of his bicycle and fall into the path of a passing boat trailer early Sunday morning, according to Detroit Lakes Police Chief Steve Todd.

Knutson, 53, was struck just after 7 a.m. while biking westbound on South Shore Drive in Detroit Lakes, just west of the intersection with Muir Lane on the southeast side of Detroit Lake. He was flown by helicopter to Sanford Hospital in Fargo, where he died.

The video corroborates the statement of the driver, Todd said in a news release sent Tuesday. On Monday, Todd identified the driver as a 42-year-old man from Fargo.

"With the information available at this time, it does not appear the driver of the pickup violated any criminal or traffic laws," Todd said in the release.

Investigators are still awaiting the medical examiner's report and a final reconstruction from the Minnesota State Patrol. Once received, the entire case file will be provided to Becker County Attorney's Office for a final review and determination of any possible charges, Todd said.

Knutson served as executive director of the Fargo Marathon for almost two decades, growing it from 200 to more than 20,000 runners, his obituary states. He had moved to Detroit Lakes in the spring of 2022 and shortly after became general manager of Detroit Mountain Recreation Area. He was father to three children and had become a grandfather within the last year. A public memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Hope Lutheran Church in Fargo.

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Jenny Berg

St. Cloud Reporter

Jenny Berg covers St. Cloud for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the new St. Cloud Today newsletter.

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