NORTH TOWNSHIP, Pennington County (trfnews.i234.me) — Two people were injured in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 59 Tuesday afternoon. The crash happened near 190th Street Northeast at 3:53 p.m. on November 25. The Minnesota State Patrol released the report on Wednesday afternoon.
The State Patrol says a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee was traveling south on Highway 59. A 1998 Chevrolet GMT pickup was heading north on the same highway. The two vehicles made contact in the traffic lane. Both vehicles had airbag deployment. Snow and ice covered the roadway during the crash.
The crash record, listed under reference number ICR 25322197, was last updated at 4:15 p.m. on November 26. Officials say the information is believed to be complete. The public report is available through the Minnesota State Patrol website.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee was driven by Veronica Desiree Martinez, 18, of Kennedy. She suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Martinez was transported to Sanford Hospital for treatment. She was wearing a seat belt. Alcohol was not involved.
The Chevrolet GMT pickup was driven by Emory Charles Flaten, 73, of Newfolden. He also had non-life-threatening injuries. He was taken to Sanford Hospital. According to the report, he was wearing a seat belt. Alcohol was not listed as a factor.
Responders from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene. Sanford Ambulance and Thief River Falls EMS provided medical support. Thief River Falls Fire helped with safety and clean-up. Crews worked on the snowy roadway while traffic moved slowly around the crash area.
Both vehicles were removed from the scene after the crash. Officials did not list the extent of the vehicle damage in the summary. Troopers say winter road conditions were a major factor. Snow and ice reduce control and increase stopping distance.
Drivers across northwest Minnesota should use added caution. Winter storms continue to affect travel on rural and state highways. Road updates, crash alerts, and weather conditions are available on the Minnesota 511 travel system.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.