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Family of fatal Owatonna hit-and-run victim seeks justice

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Published  November 9, 2024 7:12pm CST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 9

Family seeking justice in fatal Owatonna hit-and-run

A family is seeking justice after their loved one, Taylor Ades, was hit and killed alongside County Road 45 in Owatonna last month. FOX 9's Babs Santos has the latest.

The Brief

    • A family is seeking justice in a fatal hit-and-run that killed Taylor Ades in Owatonna last month. 
    • A man has been charged in the crash, but has posted a $10,000 non-cash bond.
    • The man charged, Derek Denselbeck, has three past DWI's. 

OWATONNA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Taylor Ades’ family is taking things day-by-day, after receiving gut-wrenching news in late October. Taylor was killed in a hit-and-run crash alongside County Road 45 on Oct. 30 in Owatonna.

"He was walking to a storage unit when he was hit… probably the most heartbreaking thing is that I’ll never hear his voice again," Taylor’s father, Arnold Ades, told FOX 9.

Authorities say Derek Denselbeck is responsible. The 42-year-old has three DWI’s dating back to the early 2000s.

Last month, law enforcement recognized debris on the road as similar to a car they knew him to drive. A witness also told police they saw the car pulled over with a messed-up headlight, and found that weird because it wasn’t a wooded area, and it’d be unlikely to hit a deer there.

"He treated my son worse than you treat a wild animal," Arnold said. "He’s shown zero remorse. He claimed that he hit a deer."

Denselbeck later told investigators the crash was like hitting a wall, and he didn’t see anything, until he heard a bang. Then he got out of the car, but didn’t find anything outside.

Detectives learned the vehicle was traveling at 57 miles per hour upon impact, and the brakes were not being applied, according to the truck’s Engine Control Module.

Now, as he grieves, Arnold is making plans to lobby Minnesota lawmakers, in hopes of changing sentencing guidelines.

"The laws in Minnesota have to be changed… it’s infuriating to hear a prosecutor that’s supposed to be fighting for my son turn around and say, ‘well, he might get two years,’" Arnold said. "What do you mean he might get some jail time?"

If convicted, Denselbeck could spend up to a decade behind bars. After his arrest, he posted a $10,000 non-cash bond.

"He was arrested on Wednesday. He was a free man on Friday. In what world is that any form of righteousness?" Arnold finished. "They just opened the door for this to happen to so many other people."

The Ades family plans to celebrate Taylor’s life at a ceremony on Nov. 22. They are accepting donations to help pay for funeral expenses at this GoFundMe fundraiser.