PRESTON, Minn. – The city administrator, Ryan Scott Throckmorton posted $3,000 bail to stay out of jail in a drunken-driving case from August. Throckmorton, age 40, faces multiple charges. In the incident, according to the State Patrol, Throckmorton left a Lanesboro bar on his motorcycle, control on curvy Highway 16 and crashed and needed to be airlifted to a hospital. This was the night of Saturday, August 24. He was charged with:
> Driving under influence of alcohol.
> Refusing to submit to a blood or urine.
> Driving without protective headgear.
> Violating a motorcycle instruction permit.
A court hearing has been scheduled before Fillmore County Judge Jeremy Clinefelter in late February. Meanwhile, Throckmorton has filed a civil case against the State Patrol. He claims the state trooper was unreadable in pressing for his consent for a test to measure alcohol in his system because of his medical condition at the time precluded him from making a reasonable decision. The law doesn’t allow government agents such asolice to tsk a fluid sample without a person’s consent. Tis is the trooper’s account:
> Witnesses at he accident reported Throckmorton was under the influence.
> At the hospital Throckmorton admitted to drinking.
> The trooper obtained a search warrant from a judge to fdraw blood or gake urine.
> Throckmorton agreed at first but read the warrant and said it was flawed and requested a new draft.
> The trooper told Throckmorton the warrant was accurate and that refusing to submit would be a crime.
> Throckmorton continued arguing with the trooper and demanding a new search warrant.
> The trooper accused Throckmorton of delaying the test unreasonably – a tactic to allow whatever alcohol was in his system to dissopate gradually.
Throckmorton. Fighting drunk-driving charges with civil suit against State Patrol.
Personal profile
A graduate of Fillmore Central High School 11 miles away in Harmony. His early career was as a realtor. For 12 years he worked through issues facing the Preston ambulance service and engineered a merger of the Lanesboro. and Preston servicesin 2021. The combined unit has 45 members, mostly volunteers. The City Council appointed Throckmorton as city administrator in 2022 from a field of four candidates.
Preston profile
Preston is Fillmore County’s county seat. The county population: 21,000. Preston popuation 1,300. Median household income: $56,000. Other Fillmore County municipalities include Chatfield, 2,800; Rushford, 1,700; Harmony, 1,000; Mabel, 800; Lanesboro, 800; Spring Valley, 600.