A 54-year-old Foley woman was trapped inside her SUV after it hit standing water, left Stearns County Road 1, and rolled near Heim's Mill on Monday afternoon. Teresa Ondarko was the vehicle's lone occupant when Sartell firefighters arrived to pull her free, and she was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The crash happened Monday afternoon on Stearns County Road 1 near the canoe access, according to WJON. Ondarko was driving her Chevrolet Equinox north on County Road 1 shortly after 2:20 p.m. when she ran into trouble, per the St. Cloud Times. The sheriff's office said she was approaching the curve just north of Heim's Mill when she came upon the standing water and lost control.
SUV Flips Near Riverbank
Accounts differ slightly on exactly how far the SUV traveled before stopping. WJON reported the vehicle came to rest about 50 feet into a tree line near the riverbank, while the St. Cloud Times's report says it traveled 50 feet off the roadway and rolled at least once near Heims Mill Canoe Access. The same report notes Ondarko was wearing a seat belt at the time.
Sartell firefighters were able to extricate Ondarko from the vehicle before she was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, the station's report states. Multiple agencies responded to help, with the Sartell Police Department, Sartell Life Safety Division, Minnesota State Patrol, Sartell Fire Department and Mayo Ambulance Service all assisting on scene, according to the St. Cloud Times.
Clogged Drain Blamed For Water Buildup
The Stearns County Highway Department later found that a drain in the area had been plugged by leaves and the heavy amount of rain that had fallen, causing water to pool across the roadway where Ondarko was driving. The blockage caused water to pool across the roadway, sending her SUV off the road.
The crash adds to a broader pattern across Minnesota this year. As of Nov. 4, the state had recorded 24 crashes citing standing or moving water, involving 42 people, out of more than 50,000 total crashes and 100,000 people involved statewide, per the St. Cloud Times. No fatalities have been reported in those water-related incidents, and only eight people have reported injuries. Wet road conditions more broadly have proven far more dangerous this year, with 5,011 crashes and 10,702 people involved, including 2,052 injuries and 24 fatalities, the same report notes.
