Austin: Rochester Rider Suffers Life-Threatening Injuries
AUSTIN TOWNSHIP (trfnews.i234.me) — A Rochester motorcyclist suffered life-threatening injuries in a collision with an SUV Saturday.
The crash happened October 24, 2026, at approximately 7:31 p.m. in Mower County.
The Minnesota State Patrol placed the collision at Highway 218 and Mower County Road 28.
The report identifies the injured rider as Tamra Kae Kirschbaum, 52, of Rochester.
Motorcycle and SUV Collided Near Austin
According to investigators, Kirschbaum was traveling northbound on Highway 218 on a 2007 Honda VT750 motorcycle.
A 2017 Nissan Rogue was traveling eastbound on Mower County Road 28.
The two vehicles collided near the intersection, the State Patrol reported.
Investigators recorded dry road conditions during the evening crash.
The public report does not explain how the vehicles came into contact.
It also does not identify which driver had the right of way or determine fault.
Rochester Woman Suffers Life-Threatening Injuries
Kirschbaum’s injuries were classified as life-threatening by the Minnesota State Patrol.
The report lists St. Marys Hospital in Rochester as her health care facility.
The State Patrol reported that Kirschbaum was wearing a helmet.
Alcohol was not suspected for the motorcycle rider, according to the report.
Authorities did not describe her injuries or provide a later update on her condition.
No motorcycle passenger was identified in the public crash record.
Austin SUV Driver Reported Uninjured
Sebastian Cruz Reyes, 50, of Austin, was driving the Nissan Rogue.
The State Patrol reported that Reyes was not injured and was not transported to a hospital.
Investigators listed him as wearing a seat belt.
The Nissan’s airbags deployed during the collision, according to the report.
The alcohol-suspected field for Reyes was marked unknown.
That entry does not establish that alcohol was involved in the crash.
The public report does not identify charges or traffic citations for either driver.
Emergency Crews Responded to Intersection
The Mower County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the response, according to the State Patrol.
Austin police and firefighters were also listed among responding agencies.
Mayo Ambulance assisted at the scene.
The public report does not provide details about any road closure or traffic delay.
It also does not describe the damage to either vehicle.
The cause of the collision remains unclear from the information released.
State Patrol Releases Crash Information
The State Patrol assigned incident number 26104525 to the Highway 218 collision.
Its Rochester district handled the case.
The public report was last updated October 24 at 10:56 p.m.
The agency marked the posted information as believed complete.
Readers can view the official State Patrol incident report.
The crash was also covered by KROC-AM News on October 25.
Additional public reports are available through the State Patrol incident search.
The Rochester district lists 507-923-2040 for case information.
I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.
Copyright 2026 TRF News. All rights reserved.
