A 51-year-old man from Nett Lake died Friday after his pickup truck left Highway 53 and crashed into the former McDonald’s building in Cook, Minnesota. Witnesses broke a window to reach the unresponsive driver, pulled him from the vehicle and began CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene despite further lifesaving efforts by emergency responders.
According to Northern News Now, deputies and medical personnel were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash at 11:42 a.m. on Friday. As reported by Bring Me The News, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said the crash was reported at 101 Highway 53 in Cook after a 911 caller said the pickup had left the road and struck the building.
Bystanders Acted Before Help Arrived
Witnesses told investigators the pickup drifted off the highway at a low speed before striking the building and coming to a stop, the station’s report states. Bystanders smashed a window to get to the driver, who was already unresponsive, and pulled him from the truck to start CPR while waiting for emergency crews.
Once deputies and medical personnel arrived, they continued lifesaving measures, but the man could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene. Per the same account, alcohol was not considered a factor in the crash.
Investigators Point to a Medical Emergency
Investigators believe the driver experienced a medical emergency before the crash, the outlet reported, though no further details on the nature of that emergency have been released. The crash remains under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.
Authorities are withholding the man’s name pending notification of his family. The sheriff’s office has said it will release his identity once that notification is complete, according to Bring Me The News, whose report credited author Adam Uren.
