ORONOCO, MN : A car hit a semi tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 52 at Oronoco on February, Sunday 4th 2018

A car hit a semi tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 52 at Oronoco, sending the car's driver and an infant child to the hospital.

Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Troy Christianson said the crash occurred at about 9:06 a.m. Monday when a 2014 Toyota Prius traveling south on Highway 52 struck the trailer of the southbound 2015 Peterbilt semi tractor-trailer just south of the bridge over the Middle Fork of the Zumbro River.

Pine Island Fire Chief Brandon Sather said that when firefighters arrived on the scene they extricated the driver from the car.

The driver of the Prius, Jordan David Grenell, 33, of Rochester was taken to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus by medical helicopter. According to a Mayo spokesperson, he was listed in serious condition Monday afternoon. His infant son, a passenger in the car, was transported to Saint Marys by Gold Cross Ambulance. No updates were available on the infant's condition, though Christianson said the injuries were non-life threatening.

The semi's driver, Michael James Gordey, 38, of Cloquet, was not transported for medical care and, Chrisitanson said, was uninjured.

Traffic on Highway 52 was slowed on both the northbound and southbound lanes due to the crash. The left northbound lane was blocked to make room for emergency vehicles and personnel. Southbound traffic was moving past the wreck along the shoulder of the road. The Prius blocked the left-hand southbound lane.

Sather said that while working on the crash near Oronoco, Pine Island firefighters and first responders were dispatched to a second vehicle accident at about 9:43 a.m. at the southbound lanes of Highway 52 at the Elk Run interchange.

As traffic was backing up from the first crash, a 2016 Chevrolet Impala driven by Julie Altrichter, 55, of Pine Island, rear-ended a 2016 Honda CR-V driven by Sol Schwartz, 59, of Eagan. Neither driver nor Tatyana Schwartz, 60, of Eagan, a passenger in the Honda, was transported.

Due to the second crash, traffic was diverted over the Elk Run overpass, Sather said. Both vehicles from the second crash were towed, and the drivers of those vehicles were examined by first responders and Gold Cross on the scene and refused transport.

Source :
Two injured in crash on US 52 near Oronoco