Carrington police chief dies in motorcycle crash

Brandon Sola, Chief of Police for the Carrington Police Department (CPD), was killed Tuesday, June 28 while riding his motorcycle.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP) reported Wednesday that a 36-year-old male was traveling westbound on I-94 near West Fargo at around 9:05 p.m. on Tuesday evening, when he lost control of his Harley Davidson.

"The motorcycle began to wobble, and the rider was thrown from the motorcyle," the NDHP reported.

Sola came to rest in the median, and the motorcycle landed in the median shoulder. Fire and EMS responded and provided medical treatment, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

Carrington Mayor Tom Erdmann confirmed to the "Foster County Independent" on Thursday that Sola was the individual killed in the crash. Sola has served the CPD since November 2021, when he began working part-time as chief. He switched to full-time status in April, when he relocated his family from Velva to Carrington. He leaves behind a wife, Rebecca, and five children.

The crash remains under investigation by the NDHP.