Freezing Precipitation a Factor in Houston County Crash
Houston, MN (KROC-AM News) - The slippery conditions that developed yesterday in parts of southeastern Minnesota apparently contributed to an injury crash in Houston County.
The State Patrol says the single-vehicle incident involved an SUV that slid out of control in the ditch along Highway 16 about a mile east of Houston just after 12 Noon. After colliding with a sign and a tree, the State Patrol says the vehicle ended up tipped over on the passenger side.
The two occupants of the SUV had to be extricated by members of the Houston Fire Department and were transported by ambulance to the Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse with what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries. The State Patrol identified the driver as 45-year-old Julia Shay of Houston, while her passenger was listed as 46-year-old Windel Harvey of Houston.
The State Patrol report notes the surface of the highway was glazed with ice from light freezing precipitation.
Throughout Minnesota, the State Patrol received 116 reports of traffic crashes, 105 vehicle spinouts, and 3 jackknifed semi-trucks in areas hit by inclement weather on Monday. 15 of the crashes resulted in injuries.