A Twin Cities woman fleeing a sheriff's deputy in upstate New York late at night drove into oncoming traffic, crashed her SUV into a pickup truck and was killed, according to authorities.

The collision occurred shortly after 11:45 p.m. Saturday in Ghent, about 30 miles south of Albany, and killed Kasandra Solverson, 26, of Chaska, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office said.

Three people in the pickup were injured and taken to Albany Medical Center. All were in fair condition Monday morning, a hospital spokesman said.

Investigators are looking into the possibility that alcohol or drugs were involved, the Sheriff's Office added. Sheriff's Lt. Wayne Lopez said autopsy results could shed more light on the case by the end of the week.

According to the Sheriff's Office:

The deputy stopped Solverson's SUV after seeing it heading north in the southbound lane of a county road and "operating recklessly." As the deputy walked toward the vehicle, Solverson sped off.

The deputy caught up to Solverson at a nearby intersection, where she had already struck the pickup, again heading north in the southbound lane. Solverson was dead at the scene.

The injured were identified as driver Kyle Macfarlane, 19, of Old Chatham, and passengers Timothy Laraway Jr., 23, and Brian Macfarlane, 24.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482