Bystanders Rescue Driver From Vehicle Fire Following Ely Rollover

Oct 6

A 57-year-old Ely man was seriously hurt Friday afternoon after his vehicle rolled over and caught fire.

The crash occurred on the Echo Trail north of town, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.

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Deputies said the crash happened around 2:49 p.m. on Oct. 3 in the 1500 block of the Echo Trail, just outside Ely. Witnesses reported that the driver’s vehicle nearly forced another car off the road before leaving the roadway, striking ledge rock, becoming airborne and rolling over. The vehicle caught fire shortly after it came to rest.

People in the area ran to the scene and pulled the driver from the vehicle before flames spread. The man, identified as Jeremy Swanson, 57, of Ely, was the only occupant. He was treated at the scene for a head injury, taken to Ely Hospital and later flown to a Duluth hospital. His current condition has not been released.

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The crash remains under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. Agencies assisting at the scene included the Morse Fall Lake Fire Department and First Responders, Ely police, Ely Ambulance and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities have not yet released additional information about the cause of the crash.

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