3 killed, 1 critical after trio of crashes in Minnesota Thursday
Three separate, unrelated crashes killed three people Thursday on Minnesota roads.
Southeastern Minnesota
One person was killed and another was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries in Olmsted County.
A crash report states that the incident happened just before 4:30 p.m. on Highway 42 near 19th Street Southeast in Eyota Township.
The Minnesota State Patrol said a semi truck, driven by a 30-year-old Lewiston, Minnesota man, and a motorcycle, driven by a 49-year-old Rochester man, were heading northbound on the highway when the two collided.
The driver of the motorcycle died in the crash. A passenger on the motorcycle, identified as 48-year-old Lori Ann Jean Danielson, was taken to St. Mary's Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
More information will be released this weekend on the driver of the motorcycle. Road conditions were dry at the time of the crash, according to the report.
The 49-year-old was the fourth motorcyclist to die this week on Minnesota roads.
Western Minnesota
A 49-year-old motorcyclist died in a crash that happened in Swift County.
Authorities say the crash happened at 8:18 p.m. on Highway 29 at 60th Street southeast in Cashel Township, south of Benson, Minnesota.
The crash report from the Minnesota State Patrol says the motorcycle, driven by Michael Allen Fifield, from Benson, was heading northbound on the highway when he lost control and entered a ditch.
Fifield was taken to Benson Hospital and was later pronounced dead.
Road conditions were wet at the time of the crash.
This crash marked the fifth motorcyclist to die in a crash this week.
Northwestern Minnesota
A northwestern Minnesota man fatally crashed his car into a pond late Thursday night.
The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened at about 11:57 p.m. on Highway 113 at 173rd Avenue in Lake Grove Township, located in Mahnomen County.
An investigation revealed that 68-year-old David Charles Sokolik, from Waubun, was driving his Jeep eastbound on Highway 113 when it left the road, struck a guardrail and crashed into a ditch with a small pond.
Sokolik was declared dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, the State Patrol said.
Road conditions were reported to be dry, according to the report.
