A pickup truck driver attempting to pass on a southeastern Minnesota highway before dawn Tuesday hit an oncoming compact car head-on, killing the other motorist, authorities said.
The collision occurred north of Hayfield about 5:35 a.m. on Hwy. 56 north of Hayfield, according to the State Patrol.
The car's driver, a 66-year-old man from nearby Dodge Center, was killed, the patrol said. The pickup driver, a 19-year-old man from Hayfield, was taken to a hospital in Rochester with serious injuries.
The patrol said the pickup was heading north on Hwy. 56 near 710th Street, where it attempted to pass a slower vehicle and struck the southbound car.
The two-lane highway was closed for several hours while the wreckage was being cleared and investigators gathered evidence.
Identities of the two drivers have yet to be released.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
