Mahnomen County, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – A fatal pedestrian crash occurred early Friday morning in Pembina Township, Mahnomen County, after a man was struck by a pickup truck while walking along Highway 59.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the incident happened at approximately 6:27 a.m. on July 18, 2025, near mile marker 298. The report states that 40-year-old Lee Edmond Defoe of Waubun, Minnesota, was walking southbound on the highway when he was struck by a 2008 GMC Sierra, also traveling southbound.
The driver of the pickup, Zachary John Mehr, 39, of Saint Cloud, was wearing his seat belt and was uninjured. Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, and no airbags deployed.
Defoe was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities from the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office, the White Earth Police Department, and the FBI assisted in the investigation.
The road condition at the time was reported as “Other.” No further details have been released as the incident remains under investigation.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.