The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating a crash that killed two people Friday afternoon when a vehicle struck a dump truck head-on in Lindström.
Shortly before 2 p.m., a Saturn Ion heading east on Hwy. 8 crossed into westbound traffic and struck a Ford F150 pickup, the patrol said. The Saturn returned to the eastbound lane, but then it jerked back into the westbound lane and struck a dump truck head-on just west of Lincoln Road.
The Chisago County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the crash involved two fatalities, both in the Saturn Ion: the 20-year-old driver, from Centuria, Wis., and a 25-year-old passenger from North Branch, Minn. Their names have not been released.
The driver of the dump truck, Christopher Brian Engel, 42, of St. Paul, was not injured. Daniel Lee Wiemann, 53, of Centuria, Wis., the driver of the pickup, was also unharmed, along with passenger Joleen Rae Wiemann, 58.
Hwy. 8 at Lincoln Road was closed to traffic during the initial investigation. The highway reopened around 7:30 p.m., according to Lakes Area Police.
The crash remains under investigation.
Kim Hyatt • 612-673-4751
