Otter Tail County deputies arrest Erhard man after UTV theft, pursuit

A bent fork jammed into a UTV ignition helped explain a fast-moving chase near Erhard that ended with the arrest of Justin Allen Sheridan, 44, of Erhard, after Otter Tail County deputies say he took the machine from a garage belonging to a family member.

Deputies said the UTV was reported missing about 2:30 a.m. Friday, April 10, 2026, and was later spotted traveling on a county highway. When a deputy tried to stop it, the driver did not pull over. Instead, the UTV crossed into the opposite lane of a U.S. highway and at times went into the ditch as sirens sounded, with speeds reported at roughly 45 to 50 miles per hour.

The pursuit lasted about an hour. Around 3:30 a.m., the UTV stopped and Sheridan surrendered by putting both hands out the window, deputies said. Investigators later found the bent fork in the ignition slot and believe it was used to start the vehicle by bypassing the ignition system.

Sheridan was booked into the Otter Tail County Detention Facility and made a first court appearance later that morning on charges that include fleeing from law enforcement and tampering with a motor vehicle. No injuries were reported in the incident.

The case puts a sharp local spotlight on a kind of theft that can hit rural property hard: a vehicle taken from a garage, then driven across narrow roads before sunrise, when visibility is low and traffic can still surprise drivers. In this case, the suspect and the owner were family members, adding a personal rupture to the property crime.

For residents who keep UTVs, pickups, and farm equipment on their land around Erhard and across Otter Tail County, the details are a reminder that unsecured garages and easy-to-access keys can become an opening for theft. With the case now moving into the county court system, prosecutors will handle the next steps on charges tied to the chase, the alleged theft, and the damaged ignition.