There have been several crashes with injuries or fatalities in northwestern North Dakota since Friday. Some can be attributed to the dangers of winter roads and ice, but others to human error or impaired driving.
At 4:55 p.m. Monday, a 13-year-old female was struck by a car driven by a 17-year-old female while attempting to cross Fourth Avenue Northwest in Minot, according to Minot Police. The struck female was taken to Trinity Hospital in Minot for non-life-threatening injuries.
At 8:15 p.m. Monday, Shayna Shoats, 20, was arrested for illegal consumption of alcohol and driving under the influence after her vehicle struck a garage in southwest Minot, Minot Police reported. She was not injured.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol reported:
At 12:52 a.m. Monday, a fatal crash occurred along U.S. Highway 85. A 2004 Dodge Durango driven by Shawn Rankin, 44, of Nanty Glo, Pa., struck the rear of a trailer pulled by a 2006 Kenworth driven by Stephen McMillin, 40, of Jefferson City, Mo., while traveling west. McMillin, also traveling west, had slowed to make a left-hand turn. Rankin was killed; his passenger, Michael Demarco, 30, was injured and taken to Mercy Hospital in Williston. The Durango was totaled. McMillin's trailer suffered moderate damage.
At 6:40 a.m. Friday, driver Kevin Caldwell, 53, of Mandaree, lost control of his 1999 Ford pickup truck on the ice and compacted snow on N.D. Highway 22. The vehicle rolled over once, ejecting passenger Matthew Cook, 44, also of Mandaree, through the passenger window. Both occupants were injured and taken to Trinity Hospital in Minot.
At 11:55 a.m. Friday, an ambulance driven by Tracy Kerzmann, 30, of Williston, rolled over on U.S. Highway 2 north of Williston. The rear of the ambulance had kicked out on the icy road conditions and Kerzmann over corrected. Neither Kerzmann nor passenger Jessica Green, 25, of Glendive, Mont., who was secured by a stretcher, were injured. Passenger Andrew Sailer, 34, also of Williston, was injured and was taken to Mercy Hospital in Williston.
Flint McColgan