Patrol: Man drinks, runs stop sign and kills ER manager in other car

A Twin Cities man who had been drinking ran a stop sign in east-central Minnesota and killed another motorist in a collision of two cars late Saturday, authorities said Sunday.

The crash occurred about 9:30 p.m. at Hwys. 18 and 65, south of McGrath, in Aitkin County, the State Patrol said.

Killed was Anthony R. Sundholm, 47, of McGrath, the patrol said.

Suffering noncritical injuries were driver Peter Sarkisyan, 29, of Forest Lake, and Seth A. Millner, 27, of Roseville. Sarkisyan was taken to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale and was in fair condition. Millner was not hospitalized.

Sarkisyan was heading west on Hwy. 18 and "failed to stop at the stop sign" at Hwy. 65, hitting Sundholm's northbound car broadside, according to the patrol.

Sarkisyan's driving record in Minnesota includes several convictions since 2004, including: running a stop sign, driving after his license was revoked, driving with an invalid license, careless driving, driving while uninsured and two speeding violations.

Sundholm, a registered nurse, was manager of the emergency room at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin, a hospital staff member confirmed Sunday.

"Both are just fantastic, wonderful people," said Cindy Hills, human resources manager for Riverwood. "They are very near and dear to our hearts."

As manager, Anthony Sundholm supervised about 30 health care professionals and oversaw emergency services, the hospital's infusion center, cardiopulmonary department and invasive procedural radiology services.

He also had extensive experience as a helicopter flight nurse and served in the Army for four years during the Gulf War in the early 1990s.

In another crash Saturday, Daniel W. Vaughn, 63, of Elk River, was killed when the southbound car he was in on Upland Avenue in Elk River was broadsided by a pickup going west on Hwy. 10 that ran a stoplight. The 18-year-old man driving the pickup was not injured.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482