2 Hurt in Collision With Front-End Loader in Steele County
Two men from Faribault were hurt, one critically, in a crash with a construction loader Tuesday afternoon just south of Owatonna.
The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened at 1:11 p.m. on August 5 on Highway 218 at 48th Street in Aurora Township.
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A Dodge Grand Caravan and a privately-owned Komatsu WA470 front-end loader were both being driven north on Highway 218 when they collided.
The passenger in the van, 60-year-old Mario Rodriguez, of Faribault, suffered life-threatening injuries. He was taken to Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester. The driver, a 21-year-old man, also of Faribault, had non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Owatonna Hospital. Both men were wearing seat belts.
The driver of the front-end loader, a 47-year-old man from Claremont, was not hurt.
The Steele County Sheriff’s Office, Claremont Fire, Owatonna Police and Owatonna Fire Department assisted at the scene. Authorities say alcohol was not involved and the road was dry at the time of the crash.
The incident remains under investigation.
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