Woman crashes truck in Freeborn County, killing father

Star Tribune

Last update: December 4, 2008 - 10:00 PM

A woman driving a pickup truck on an icy southern Minnesota highway lost control Thursday, hitting a tree and killing her father, who was riding with her, authorities said.

The crash occurred shortly before 9 a.m. on northbound Interstate 35, west of Geneva in Freeborn County, the State Patrol said.

Killed was Keith W. Pearson, 80, of Cozad, Neb., the patrol said. His daughter, Patricia A. Scheuffele, 52, of Lexington, Neb., was hospitalized in Albert Lea with non-life-threatening injuries.

Both were wearing seat belts.

In another crash, a truck driver from Littlefork, Minn., died Wednesday night when his rig ran off a highway in northern Minnesota and rolled over, the patrol said.

Arnold Ostlund, 66, was driving north on Hwy. 53 about one-quarter mile south of Cusson, Minn., when his rig ran off the road, went into the ditch on the west side of the highway and rolled over, the patrol said.

Ostlund was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, which happened about 8:20 p.m.

The crash is under investigation.

TIM HARLOW