Jamestown,ND : Authorities identify man who died in fiery crash on Interstate 29 south of Grand Forks on May,Wednesday 23rd 2018

A 57-year-old man who died Wednesday night, May 23, in a fiery crash that shut down southbound traffic on Interstate 29 Wednesday near Grand Forks has been identified and the driver of the other vehicle faces possible charges.

Wayne O’Connell of Shelly in far western Minnesota died at the scene after he was ejected from his 1953 Ford pickup. Emergency crews responded at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday to the crash about 3 miles north of Thompson.


A 2000 Peterbilt semi hauling cattle rear-ended the pickup’s trailer, according to a news release issued late Thursday night. The pickup and trailer went into the west ditch of the southbound lane and caught fire, the release said.

The semi’s driver, 53-year-old Timothy Mack of Castlewood, S.D., was not injured. No cattle were injured or died in the crash, nor did any break loose from the trailer.

The Patrol said charges are under investigation in the crash.

The crash ignited grass along the highway, Thompson Assistant Fire Chief John Samdahl said, but firefighters were able to respond quickly to the scene because they were holding a training session in Thompson.

It’s unclear how fast each vehicle was traveling, but the pickup was moving at a slower speed than the semi, according to the release.

“Regarding speeds, alcohol and distraction, these are all aspects that we investigate in any significant crash, and since the crash is under investigation we are not yet releasing any findings,” Highway Patrol Sgt. Ryan Panasuk wrote in an email.


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Authorities identify man who died in fiery crash on Interstate 29 south of Grand Forks