Deputy, Driver Injured in Highway 52 Crash Near Pine Island
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A submitted photo shows a helicopter on scene of a crash near Pine Island Saturday.
Two drivers were injured Saturday evening in a crash involving a Goodhue County sheriff’s squad vehicle.
The crash happened just before 4:15 p.m. Saturday, March 14 on southbound Highway 52 near milepost 72 near Pine Island.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a deputy in a 2025 Ford Explorer squad was parked on the shoulder of southbound Highway 52 when the driver of a 2010 Nissan Altima traveling southbound struck it on the shoulder.
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The driver of the squad vehicle, 29-year-old Kainen A. Whitehead, of Kenyon, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester for treatment.
The driver of the Nissan Altima, 31-year-old Andrew Anthony Vruno, of Rochester, was seriously injured and airlifted from the scene by Mayo One helicopter.
Crews worked to extricate Vruno from his vehicle before he was flown to the hospital. The deputy was transported by Zumbrota Area Ambulance.
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Radio dispatch traffic indicated Vruno had been the subject of a driving complaint moments before the crash, with callers reporting a vehicle speeding and passing other drivers on the shoulder shortly before the collision.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene including the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office, Zumbrota Police Department, Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Patrol, which is leading the investigation.
Authorities say road conditions were dry at the time of the crash and alcohol is suspected to have played a role in the crash. The investigation remains ongoing.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a deputy in a 2025 Ford Explorer squad was parked on the shoulder of southbound Highway 52 when the driver of a 2010 Nissan Altima traveling southbound struck it on the shoulder.