Slick Roads Lead to Several Injury Crashes Near Rochester

Undated (KROC-AM News)- Slick travel conditions were a factor in several injury crashes reported in the Rochester area. 

Get our free mobile app

An April storm system brought accumulating slushy snow to southeast Minnesota Sunday evening. The crashes began shortly after the snow began falling. 

The State Patrol responded to four injury crashes in southeast Minnesota between 5 p.m. Sunday and 1 a.m. Monday. The first reported injury crash occurred on I-90 near the High Forest exit west of Hwy. 63 shortly after 5:10 p.m.

The crash report indicates an eastbound vehicle, driven by 50-year-old Tina Poland of Webster City, IA, had lost control and struck a culvert in the ditch. She was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester with what were described as non-life-threatening injuries. 

The next injury crash was reported about five minutes later on Highway 52 at the Civic Center Dr. interchange. A Rochester man was brought to St. Mary’s with life-threatening injuries and the four occupants of the other vehicle, including an infant, were also hospitalized. 

The State Patrol responded to a third crash at the High Forest exit where an eastbound vehicle had lost control and struck a guardrail. The state crash report says the passenger in the vehicle, identified as 26-year-old Omar Guzamn of High Forest, was hospitalized for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The driver, 50-year-old Tina Rodriguez of High Forest, was not hurt. 

The fourth injury crash report came in around 12:40 a.m. Monday at the Hwy. 14/Hwy. 56 interchange in Dodge County. The State Patrol says a westbound sedan hit a guardrail after leaving highway 14. The driver, 23-year-old Wael A Alolaywi of Mankato and passenger, 22-year-old Nelly Tezai of Mankato, were taken to St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment of what are described as non-life-threatening injuries. 

MnDOT reported the majority of the major roadways in the Rochester area were covered with snow and ice during the Monday morning commute. Travel conditions for the most part have returned to normal as of Monday afternoon.