Monday afternoon traffic along Highway 95 near Princeton came to a standstill after a violent three-vehicle crash left four people dead and shut down the road for hours in Mille Lacs County, authorities said. The collision happened shortly before 3 p.m., and the usually steady flow of cars gave way to sirens, detours and a sprawling investigation scene.
According to the Star Tribune, the Minnesota State Patrol said a westbound Honda SUV crossed the center line just east of 75th Avenue and hit a Volkswagen sedan traveling in the opposite direction. A tire from one of those vehicles then struck a third car, and what began as a single crossover quickly turned into a three-vehicle wreck that blocked the highway for several hours while crews worked the scene.
CBS Minnesota reported that the Honda was driven by an 80-year-old woman, and that the Volkswagen carried four people, including two teenagers. Each of the other vehicles involved had a single occupant, according to the outlet. The State Patrol told WCCO it could not identify the victims or say which vehicles they were in until relatives had been notified.
State patrol updates and next steps
"There were four fatalities from this crash but cannot specify which vehicle they were in until all next of kin notifications have been completed," Lt. Jennifer Krier told the Star Tribune. Patrol officials said they planned to release the identities of everyone in the vehicles once family notifications were done, and crash reconstruction teams stayed on scene into Tuesday piecing together what happened.
Local safety context
Central Minnesota has seen multiple deadly crashes this year, including a February collision on U.S. Highway 169 near Lake Mille Lacs that left four people dead, CBS Minnesota reported. State crash data from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety show that rural two-lane highways in the region account for a disproportionate share of fatal collisions, a pattern that safety advocates have repeatedly highlighted.
Investigators with the State Patrol will continue examining the scene and the vehicles to determine what factors contributed to Monday's crash. Authorities asked anyone with information to contact State Patrol investigators, and additional public updates were expected after all family notifications were completed.
