1 dead, 6 injured in Benton County crash

A driver died, while another driver and five passengers were hospitalized.

Author:
BringMeTheNews
Publish date:
Feb 28, 2022

A driver died, while another driver and five passengers were hospitalized.

A two-vehicle crash in Benton County left one driver dead and six injured – including a baby – Sunday afternoon.

The Minnesota State Patrol says the driver of a 2014 Ford Fusion was westbound on Highway 23 at 13th Avenue North in Foley when he crossed over the centerline and struck a 2011 Ford Fusion heading eastbound at around 1:50 p.m.

The driver of the eastbound car was killed in the crash. He has been identified as Bruce George Varner, 55, of Sauk Rapids.

One passenger in the eastbound car – an 80-year-old woman – sustained life-threatening injuries, while the other sustained non-life threatening injuries.

The driver and three passengers from the westbound car all sustained non-life threatening injuries, which included an infant boy and a 15-year-old girl. The driver of the westbound Fusion is a 26-year-old man from Letcher, South Dakota.

All victims were transported to St. Cloud Hospital. All were wearing seatbelts and alcohol is not a factor in the crash.