Fatal Accident in Construction Zone on 35W
A tragic accident on 35W in Burnsville is a reminder that drivers need to use extra caution in construction zones.
Today, two Egan Co. employees were hit while working in a construction zone. One died at the scene and the other at the hospital. The names have been released by the Minnesota State Patrol, but out of respect for the families, we are not reporting them here. Our thoughts are with the families.
According to information just released from the Minnesota State Patrol, a Mitsubishi 3000GT driven by Kirk Deamos, 21, of Raymore, Missouri, was traveling northbound on 35W in the left lane when the driver lost control and struck the two construction workers. The updated State Patrol report states:
VEH 1 [the Mitsubishi driven by Deamos] NB 35W IN LEFT LANE, SLOWING FOR UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION. DRIVER FELT HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE CONSTRUCTION WALL, BRAKED AND STEERED RT. VEH TURNED RT HARDER THAN DRIVER THOUGHT IT WOULD. HE THEN TURNED LEFT TO COMPENSATE, THEN RT AGAIN. VEH THEN SPUN OUT IN THE RIGHT DITCH, STRIKING 2 CONTRACTED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.
This is preliminary information. Some of the questions that need to be answered include the following:
- Did a defective car part contribute to the accident?
- Was alcohol a factor?
- Was there a problem with safety measures taken at the construction area?
Contact our attorneys for information regarding accident investigations and finding all liable parties.
Four People Die in Van Broadsided by Alleged Drunken Driver
Four people died in Olmsted County late Saturday when the van they were in was broadsided by a driver whom the Minnesota State Patrol said was drunk.
Lt. Matt Langer told the Star Tribune that Christopher S. Frisch, 25, of Winona was arrested on suspicion of criminal vehicular operation, a felony. Langer said Frisch was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Frisch’s vehicle was eastbound on State Highway 30 and the van was northbound on State Highway 63 when the collision happened.
Killed were driver Terry Milholland, 45, of Beecher, Ill., and passengers Heidi Newell, 19, and Jarah Beers, 23, both of Rochester, and Raymond Milholland, age and hometown unknown. The Star Tribune reported that two others were hospitalized with critical injuries: 2-year-old Carter Newell of Rochester and Rita Seha, 43, also of Rochester.
The Minnesota fatal car accident was one of several deadly crashes that killed a total of 11 people on state roads Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. As of late Monday, no additional road deaths had been reported.
Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is a Minnesota fatal car accident law firm that specializes in representing seriously injured victims of motor vehicle accidents. The firm also represents the survivors and heirs of those who die in crashes, recovering tens of millions of dollars for clients over the years.
When someone dies in a Minnesota car wreck caused by the negligence of another, the spouse and next of kin can recover monetary damages under the state’s wrongful death law. And when someone dies in a drunk driver accident in Minnesota, the spouse and next of kin may have a claim for punitive damages.
Pritzker Olsen has the resources to perform its own accident investigations. When alcohol is involved in a crash, the firm is sure to research dram shop claims against bars and other retailers who supplied alcohold to the drunken driver. Our lawyers know how to fight for fair compensation from all responsible parties, including money to cover a client’s pain and suffering.
In another accident over the weekend, a couple from Oak Grove, Minnesota, was riding a motorcycle south on State Highway 371 in Cass County. A car traveling in the opposite direction braked to avoid hitting a car ahead and swerved into the southbound lane, slamming into the motorcycle head-on. Judy Hubers, 59, died from injuries she suffered in the crash while 51-year-old John Hubers was taken to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. On Monday Mr. Hubers remained hospitalized in critical condition.
Another six people were killed over the weekend in six separate accidents in Carver County, Fillmore County, Dakota County, Wright County, Olmsted County and Aitkin.
According to the Star Tribune report, one of the six was motorcycle passenger Amber Frandup, 25, of Eagan. She died when the motorcycle she was riding on crashed into the back of a car on the Mendota Bridge in Dakota County.
Drunk Driving Accident in MN Kills Mother of Six
A 48-year-old mother of six has died from injuries she received in a Minnesota auto accident in which her vehicle was struck by a motorist who was fleeing Roseville police.
The accident occurred after 7 p.m. Saturday at Larpenteur Avenue and Interstate 35E in St. Paul, killing Shoua Vang. She was a passenger in a car driven by her husband, who was released Sunday from Regions Hospital.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch reported that Roseville police identified the fleeing suspect as Tito Campbell, 33, of Roseville.
He reportedly was intoxicated at the time of the crash and jailed on suspicion of criminal vehicular homicide, the newspaper said. An 8-year-old passenger in his car was also hospitalized with injuries described as non-life threatening.
When someone dies in a Minnesota car accident due to the negligence of another driver, next of kin can recover monetary damages for the car accident death. Read about compensation for families after a Minnesota car accident death.
Mrs. Vang was less than a mile away from her home when the accident occurred. The St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch reported that Campbell was driving a stolen car and that police had chased him at speeds of up to 90 mph. But the pursuit had been stopped due to Campbell’s reckless driving, the newspaper said.
Blong Xiong, one of Mrs. Vang’s six boys, told the newspaper that his mother immigrated to St. Paul from Laos in 1980. He described her as a kind-hearted mother who put family and community first. She also was very active in her church. All of these aspects of Mrs. Vang’s life should be considered when determining compensation for the family.
If you have been in a Minnesota accident and want to understand your legal rights and remedies against the driver of a vehicle, insurance companies, dram shops and others, contact a Minnesota car accident lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. for a free consultation: call 612-338-0202, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.
Tragic Outcome When Pickup Driver Fails to Yield
A failure-to-yield auto accident resulted in a miscarriage for a 28-year-old Minnesota woman who was a passenger in a car broadsided by a pickup truck.
The State Patrolsaid the collision occurred shortly before noon on Saturday at State Highway 13 and 220th Street in Scott County. Citing the State Patrol, the newspaper said pickup truck driver Kevin Hafermann, 40 of Prior Lake, was westbound on 220th when he failed to yield to a southbound car driven by Nathan Messer, 32, of Victoria.
Hafermann, Messer and 28-year-old Katie Messer, also of Victoria, all suffered minor or non-life threatening injuries. But the newspaper said Ms. Messer, who was more than four months pregnant, experienced a miscarriage as a result of the crash.
Many Minnesota auto accidents are caused by driver negligence, but the cases require specific elements of proof best understood by MN car accident lawyers. For a free case consultation with PritzkerOlsen, P.A., a premier personal injury law firm with a national reputation, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete our online consultation form.
If you were in a Minnesota car accident and need a lawyer to prove driver negligence, contact the car accident attorneys at PritzkerOlsen. Our attorneys have been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, CNN, Fox News, CBS News and other mass media outlets, including regional newspapers and network affiliate TV stations.
Boy on School Field Trip Drowns in Pool
In parts of western Minnesota, the Kilowatt Center in Granite Falls is known as one of the largest indoor public recreation facilities for children and teens.
On Friday, the Kilowatt Center swimming pool was the site of a tragic drowning of 10-year-old Eddie Ojer of the Montevideo area.
The fourth grader was on a school field trip as a reward for student performance along with peers from Sanford Elementary in Montevideo. Fox 9 News reported Sunday that Eddie was found underwater in the pool and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
He was driven by ambulance to the Granite Falls hospital and transferred by helicopter to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. HCMC officials notified school officials on Sunday that the boy died.
Fox 9 quoted a Montevideo school official who said counselors would be on hand at Eddie’s elementary school on Monday to provide counseling to students, faculty and parents.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, drowning ranks as the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death for children 1 to 14. The health department says 80 percent of victims are male and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that for every youth who drowns, six others require hospitalization or emergency treatment for near-drownings and immersion injuries.
Water-related injuries and swimming pool deaths often call for review by an experienced law firm. The Minnesota accident lawyers at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., have gained a national reputation for excellence. Our attorneys have been interviewed by The New York Times, The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, local television affiliates and regional newspapers on many matters of justice for injured people and their next of kin. To contact a Minnesota drowning accident lawyer at our firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete an online consultation form.
