A Cannon Falls, Minn., couple who were killed when their car pulled out in front of a Minnesota State Patrol trooper heading to an injury accident Friday have been identified.

Norman L. Scott, 78, and his wife, Geneva M. Scott, 79, died in the crash.

The trooper, Scott R. Reps, was airlifted to a hospital in Rochester, where he was being treated for injuries that were serious but not life threatening, the State Patrol said.

"It's very devastating to us," said Lt. Col. Matt Langer of the State Patrol. "Our thoughts are with the people involved in the crash."

The trooper was responding to a collision between a deer and a motorcycle that injured the rider. The patrol car was heading down 65th Avenue when the crash occurred near County Road 24, just south of the Cannon Falls town center.

The State Patrol said witnesses described hearing sirens and seeing the patrol car's lights. The Scotts' Ford Taurus pulled out of a parking lot and was hit on the driver's side, the State Patrol said.

The State Patrol said two people are dead after a three-vehicle crash near the Country Side Antique Mall in Cannon Falls on Friday afternoon. A state trooper was airlifted to a Rochester hospital. The victims were not identified.

The two cars spun and hit a Jeep Commander without causing additional injuries. Richard A. Groshong, 64, and Patsy J. Groshong, 59, of Marion, Iowa, were in the third vehicle.

At a news conference Friday night, Langer said authorities haven't determined the speed of the patrol car or fault for the accident.

"This is a complicated and difficult investigation," he said.

The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office and Cannon Falls police will help conduct the probe.

Chuck Drometer, a manager of the nearby Country Side Antique Mall, said one of their dealers witnessed the crash. He said the patrol vehicle was driving quickly with sirens and lights flashing when it broadsided the other car.

"This old guy must have pulled out and didn't know he was coming that fast," Drometer said.

Langer noted, "The troopers working for us work very hard to prevent crashes. That is our mission."

Eric Roper • 612-673-1732

Twitter: @StribRoper