The first week of February saw three accidents on Highway 61 in Lutsen—two of them vehicle rollovers.
Cook County Law Enforcement received a call reporting a vehicle on its roof in the ditch at mile marker 98, between the Hall Road and Cascade Beach Road, at 8:01 p.m. on February 2. Cook County Ambulance and Lutsen First Responders were paged, but cancelled when Cook County Sheriff Deputy Ben Hallberg arrived at the scene.
Nancye Belding, 71, Grand Marais was traveling east in a 2001 Mazda Tribute when the accident occurred. She told State Trooper Michael Kobelinski that someone with bright headlights was heading eastbound and caused her to become disoriented. She veered off the road on the upper side. When the car’s tires hit the side of the road, the car flipped.
Belding was wearing her seat belt and was uninjured. She refused medical attention. Deputy Hallberg gave Belding and her dog a ride home. No citation was issued.
An accident was called in on February 6 at the intersection of the Mink Ranch Road and Highway 61. According to the Minnesota State Trooper, Michael Krumm, 29, of Anoka was driving a 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan down the Mink Ranch Road. He attempted to turn at the intersection, lost control and went off the lower side of Highway 61, flipping the vehicle and coming to a stop on the roof.
Krumm and his passenger, Michael Grothe, 26, of St. Paul, were both wearing seat belts and the vehicle’s side airbags deployed. Neither man was injured.
Cook County Towing responded to the call and two trucks were needed to upright the car so it could be towed. State Trooper Kobelinski said Deputies Ben Hallberg and Chris Schrupp helped while the car was being pulled out.
Trooper Kobelinski said the road was snow covered, but said speed and alcohol were a factor. A citation was issued for failure to drive with due care.
Another accident near the Mink Ranch Road in Lutsen occurred after a 2005 Chevy Tahoe hit a deer at 7:34 a.m. on February 7. According to State Trooper Leah Carpenter, Susan Fewer Ahrendt, 51, of Stillwater, Minnesota, had little time to react when the deer come onto the road. After hitting the deer, the Tahoe ended up in the ditch on its side.
Neither Ahrendt nor her passenger were injured. They were wearing their seat belts.
The Tahoe suffered moderate damage. Cook County Towing pulled the Tahoe out, using two trucks.
Carpenter said the roads were snow-and-ice-covered and contributed to the accident. No citation was issued.
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