A fatal crash in northern Minnesota that authorities first described as a single-vehicle wreck has investigators on the hunt for a hit-and-run suspect.
Fatal N. Minnesota crash first described as single-vehicle wreck now believed to be hit-and-run
Investigators looking for the driver and his car, but little is known about the circumstances leading to a Twin Cities man's death.
June 2, 2021 at 1:25PM
The crash occurred about 6:50 a.m. Monday along Hwy. 72 just east of Upper Red Lake. Killed was 58-year-old Shaun A. O'malley, of Woodbury, whose SUV ended up in a ditch, according to the State Patrol. The driver's body was outside the wreckage, according to emergency dispatch audio.
Now the Beltrami Sheriff's Office and the State Patrol are saying a second vehicle was involved.
"More evidence and information indicated there was more than one vehicle involved," Patrol Sgt. Jesse Grabow said Wednesday.
Christopher Muller, county emergency services director, said in a statement that "law enforcement believes there are members of the public that may have witnessed suspicious activity in the area of the crash as well as the city of Kelliher. Law enforcement believes the vehicle involved fled the scene traveling south [on Hwy. 72]."
The Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in locating the car and its driver. The agency released photos showing the man as he put gas in his car at a Cenex gas station about 40 miles to the north in Baudette, Minn. Grabow declined to say whether the image was captured before or after the incident.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Sheriff's Office at 1-218-333-9111 or the State Patrol at 1-218-683-8410.
Paul Walsh
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