SAINT JOSEPH TOWNSHIP, MN (trfnews.i234.me) — On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at approximately 6:20 p.m., a two-vehicle collision occurred at the intersection of MN Highway 23 and Interstate 94 in Saint Joseph Township, Stearns County. A 2014 Ford Escape, driven by 57-year-old Sueann Kepner of Benson, was traveling eastbound on Highway 23 when it collided with a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado, driven by 31-year-old Dallas Raymond Newman of South Haven, who was turning onto eastbound I-94 from westbound Highway 23.
Kepner sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment. Newman also suffered non-life-threatening injuries but did not require hospital transport. Both drivers were wearing seat belts, and alcohol was not a factor in the crash. Road conditions were reported as wet at the time of the incident.
Emergency response teams from the Rockville Fire Department, Waite Park Police Department, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mayo Ambulance assisted at the scene.
Did you know?
Intersections like the one at MN Highway 23 and I-94 are common sites for traffic conflicts due to merging lanes, turn-offs, and varied traffic speeds. Accidents in such areas often involve vehicles transitioning between highway speeds and local road access, creating complex timing challenges that increase the risk of collisions. Drivers in these zones must exercise extreme caution, particularly when making turns or crossing traffic. In the absence of traffic signals, yielding and judgment calls become critical. Even brief lapses in attention or misjudgments in vehicle speed can result in significant crashes.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.