ELLENDALE, MN : Patrol names 19-year-old woman killed in I-35 crash on Wednesday, 11th August, 2016
The Minnesota State Patrol has released the names of the individuals involved in Wednesday’s fatal crash on Interstate 35 near Ellendale.Kassondra Sage, 19, of Delano was killed when a rear tire blew on the PT Cruiser she was driving southbound shortly after 5 p.m., causing her to lose control. The vehicle rolled into the median and tore in two just behind the steering wheel, and part of the vehicle came to rest in the northbound lanes, where it was struck by a Harley Davidson motorcycle, a Dodge pickup and a Toyota Highlander.
The driver of the motorcycle, Richard Peters, 58, of Albert Lea, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Owatonna Hospital, according to the patrol. Peters was later transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Marys Campus, in Rochester.
Peters said Thursday he had very little time to react when the crash occurred.“I heard a noise, I looked over to the southbound lane, and I saw this car just flipping, and then parts just fling over the median and into the road northbound in front of me. So I tried to hit the breaks and lay it down, but I hit the front end [of the PT cruiser],” he said.
The landing was a rough one, and Peters said he sustained two broken ribs, two broken vertebrae, broken bones in his foot, cuts to his head and elsewhere, and lots of road rash. But it could have been much worse, he said, and depending on the X-rays in his foot he was hoping to be out of the hospital sometime Thursday.
“I’m just thankful to be alive and have all my limbs. It’s a miracle, as far as I’m concerned. The Lord was riding with me,” he said. “It isn’t often you can hit something going 75 on a bike and walk away.”The driver and passenger of the Dodge, Michael Songstad of Emmons and Kirsten Lorentz of Bricelyn, reported no injuries, as did the driver of the Toyota, Gerald Wallis of Dellwood.
State Patrol Sgt. Troy Christianson said troopers were on scene until shortly after 11 p.m. doing crash reconstruction on the extensive crash scene. He said there are no median barriers on that section of I-35, which might have prevented debris reaching the northbound lane but would not likely have made a difference for Sage.
“The vehicle rolled pretty hard prior to going in the median, so I’m not sure if the barrier would’ve made a difference or not,” he said. “It definitely would have helped with [debris in] the other lane.”
Christianson said it’s rare to see a vehicle torn apart in a crash, but said it was still very early in the investigation to say exactly what happened.
“It’s very uncommon,” he said. “It takes a lot of force to rip cars apart like that.”The PT Cruiser, the Toyota and the motorcycle were towed from the scene. The Dodge received a tow back onto the roadway and was able to travel on its own power.
The crash bogged down traffic on I-35, with northbound traffic diverted to County Roads 3 and 45 while officials processed the scene.
The Steele and Freeborn County Sheriff’s Offices, Albert Lea Police Department, Ellendale Fire and Ambulance and Minnesota Department of Transportation also responded to the crash.
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Patrol names 19-year-old woman killed in I-35 crash