Mark McFarland, 32, of Hoyt Lakes, MN, swerved to avoid a deer on Highway 61, hit the ditch and rolled over. Fortunately, he and his passenger, Mindy McFarland, 34, also of Hoyt Lakes, were not injured in the crash.
McFarland was driving a 2000 Ford Windstar westbound near Sugar Loaf Nature Center in Schroeder on Tuesday, October 9 when a deer darted out in front of him. McFarland swerved and his van entered the ditch. As he tried to get back on the highway, the vehicle rolled over and came to a stop on the roof, blocking the westbound lane.
The Tofte Fire Department, Tofte- Schroeder First Responders and the Silver Bay Ambulance were paged at 7:42 p.m.
Both of the vehicle occupants were wearing seatbelts and did not suffer injury. The Silver Bay Ambulance was cancelled. No citations were issued.
According to State Trooper Aaron Schmidt, the vehicle was a total loss. “Seatbelts saved a life,” said Schmidt, adding another bit of advice, “Don’t veer for deer.”
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