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An SUV driver ran a red light Wednesday northwest of the Twin Cities and killed a motorist entering the intersection who was heading to his job with the local school district, authorities said.

The collision occurred shortly before 8 a.m. just west of Big Lake at Hwy. 10 and Sherburne County Road 81, according to the State Patrol.

Matthew D. Barthel, 33, of Big Lake, was killed in the crash, the patrol said.

At the time of the crash, Barthel was about 3 miles from arriving at his job in technology support for the Monticello School District.

He was "the voice of our help desk," said Superintendent Jim Johnson of Barthel, who joined the district in 2013.

Johnson described Barthel, married and the father of two young children, as having "a positive attitude. When he was working he was in his element."

The SUV driver, Juan Carlos Garcia Morales, 35, also of Big Lake, was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with noncritical injuries.

Barthel was driving his car south on County Road 81 and was struck by the SUV on westbound Hwy. 10 after it "ran the red light," a statement from the patrol read.

The impact of the collision sent Barthel's car into another car waiting at the intersection. That driver was not injured.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482