A pickup truck driver attempting to pass another vehicle on a central Minnesota road struck an oncoming car and killed the other motorist, authorities said.
Services are scheduled for Wednesday for Russell Heitzman, 33, of nearby Avon, who died in the fiery collision about 7:25 p.m. Thursday less than 2 miles west of Holdingford on 190th Avenue, according to the Stearns County Sheriff's Office.
The pickup driver, Jacob Westbrock, 21, of Holdingford, was hospitalized with noncritical injuries, the Sheriff's Office said.
Court records show that Westbrock's driving history includes three convictions for speeding and another for careless driving, with all occurring in less than a year's time.
According to the Sheriff's Office:
A witness told authorities that the pickup was ablaze while the car's driver was trapped inside and unresponsive.
Holdingford Fire Department personnel began lifesaving efforts on Heitzman, but he was declared dead at the scene.
Witnesses told deputies that the pickup was heading north and the car south, when Westbrock tried to pass a slower vehicle and caused the collision with Heitzman's car near the crest of a hill.
