A 29-year-old Northfield man died Thursday in a head-on crash on Hwy. 19 in Rice County, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

Cosmus M. Arita died just before 4:30 p.m. when his westbound car crossed the centerline and hit an eastbound car driven by Matthew W. Johnson, 23, of Lonsdale, who was injured.

In a crash at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday in Blue Earth County, a teenager ran a stop sign on County Road 156 at County Road 10 near Good Thunder and fatally struck a 27-year-old woman in a car, the patrol said.

Allison M. Drouilhet, of Good Thunder, was killed. The other driver, a juvenile male, was taken to a hospital in Mankato.

In both crashes, the drivers were wearing seat belts, and no alcohol use was detected, the patrol said.

STAFF REPORTS