Minnesota's Deadly Weekend: Six Lives Lost In Traffic Incidents

Undated (MinnesotaNow)- Minnesota experienced a deadly two-day span on the state’s roads over the weekend.

Authorities indicate there were at least five fatal traffic crashes from Friday morning through Saturday evening.

A total of six lives were lost in the crashes. The fatal crash victims range in age from 11 to 78.

11-Year-Old Girl Among 6 Killed in 5 Fatal Crashes on Minnesota Roads Friday-Saturday

The first deadly crash occurred shortly before 9:30 Friday morning at the intersection Hwy. 13 and 315th St., which is about 13 miles north of Albert Lea.

A Jeep traveling north on Hwy. 13 collided with a southbound semi, according to the state crash report. 60-year-old Michael Douglas Smith of Whitebear Township was identified as the Jeep driver.

He died at the scene. The truck driver was not hurt.

Less than five hours later, 20-year-old Easton Macoy Kleven of Woodbury lost his life in a motorcycle crash near the University of Minnesota.

The State Patrol says the young man was traveling at a high rate of speed as he was trying to merge onto I-94 from Huron Blvd. in Minneapolis when he smashed into the barrier on the ramp, causing him to be thrown from the motorcycle.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the state crash report.

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Around 5:10 p.m. Friday, the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a collision between a bicyclist and pick-up truck in the small Wrenshall, which is about 25 miles southwest of Duluth.

A news release indicates the bicyclist, described as an 11-year-old girl, was flown to a Twin Cities hospital where she died from her injuries. Authorities said the pick-up driver is cooperating with law enforcement and did not show signs of impairment at the time of the crash.

Late Saturday morning, two people from Apple Valley were killed in a crash involving a wrong-way driver. A Pick-up truck, traveling north in the southbound lane of Hwy. 56, collided with a southbound SUV in Randolph, the state crash report says.

The SUV driver, 68-year-old Peter Foxgong Olson and his passenger, identified as 49-year-old Patricia Ann Olson, were pronounced dead at the scene.

28-year-old Seth John Nechville of Kenyon was driving the pick-up. The State Patrol indicates he had alcohol in his system and that he was flown to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with non-life-threatening injuries.

A second bicyclist was killed after being struck by a pick-up around 7:30 Saturday evening. The State Patrol responded to the deadly incident on Hwy. 115 about 10 miles northwest of Little Falls.

The 78-year-old bike rider, identified as William Emil Messerschmidt of Randall, was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries, the state crash report says. The driver of the pick-up was not hurt or impaired.