Monticello: 5-Vehicle I-94 Crash Injures 3
MONTICELLO (trfnews.i234.me) — Three people were injured when five vehicles collided on westbound Interstate 94.
The crash happened Thursday, October 22, 2026, at approximately 4:52 p.m. in Wright County.
The Minnesota State Patrol placed the collision near milepost 194 in Monticello.
All five vehicles were traveling westbound before the collision, according to the public crash report.
Three People Injured in the Crash
Shannon Anastasia Blackmer, 30, of Faribault, was driving a 2015 Ford Focus.
She suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the State Patrol.
Her passenger, Neil Morgan Wehrle, 29, of Minneapolis, also sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The State Patrol listed CentraCare Monticello as the medical facility for both Focus occupants.
Karla Karolina Bracho Atencio, 21, of Becker, was driving a 2011 Honda CR-V.
She was also injured and was listed as receiving care at CentraCare Monticello.
The agency classified all three injuries as non-life-threatening.
The public report does not describe their injuries or provide updates about their conditions after medical treatment.
Four Other Occupants Reported Unhurt
Blake Derrick Hillstrom, 18, of Maple Lake, was driving a 2012 Ford F-150 pickup.
The State Patrol reported no injuries for Hillstrom.
Caleb Daniel Smith, 27, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was driving a 2020 Ford Escape.
Smith was also reported uninjured.
Paul Michael Wetschka, 68, of Big Lake, was driving a 2016 Toyota Highlander.
His passenger was Maria Fe Morillo Wetschka, 55, also of Big Lake.
Neither Toyota occupant was injured, according to the released report.
Altogether, the report identifies seven people across the five vehicles.
Four were uninjured, while three suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Road Conditions and Safety Details
The State Patrol recorded dry road conditions at the time of the collision.
All seven occupants were listed as wearing seat belts.
Airbags deployed in the Ford F-150, according to investigators.
The report lists no airbag deployment in the other four vehicles.
Alcohol was not suspected for any of the seven people identified in the report.
The public summary does not explain the order of the impacts or what caused the collision.
It also does not list traffic citations or assign responsibility.
KRWC Radio reported backups in westbound rush-hour traffic following the crash.
Emergency Response and Case Information
The Wright County Sheriff’s Office and Monticello Fire Department assisted with the response.
An ambulance service was also listed among the responding agencies.
The State Patrol’s St. Cloud district handled the case under incident number 26603093.
The public report was last updated at 8:49 p.m. on October 22.
The agency marked its posted information as believed complete.
Readers can review the official Monticello crash report for available details.
Other incidents are available through the State Patrol crash search.
The St. Cloud district lists 320-223-6666 for case information.
Public crash summaries do not necessarily contain every detail gathered during an investigation.
I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.
Copyright 2026 TRF News. All rights reserved.
