This fully loaded Peterbilt logging truck tipped over near the bottom of the Caribou Trail on Tuesday, March 8, spilling logs that hit a passenger car. Three people were injured in the crash.
A fully loaded logging truck was unable to stop at the intersection of the Caribou Trail and Highway 61 in Lutsen, spilling logs, which hit another vehicle as it turned north. Three people were seriously injured in the incident at 1:38 p.m. on March 8, 2016.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Brandon E. Smith, 32, of International Falls, Minnesota was driving a 1987 Peterbilt 359 owned by HD Haulers of Two Harbors, down the Caribou Trail. As Smith made the turn to head north on Highway 61, the truck and trailer rolled onto its side, spilling logs that hit a 2009 Honda Accord, driven by Constance Almquist, 80, of Bloomington, Minnesota.
The Honda ended several yards off the highway on the upper side of the road, in a tangle of logs. Callers reporting the accident said the car was smoking. Passing motorists rendered aid until emergency responders arrived at 1:42 p.m.
The Cook County Ambulance, Lutsen First Responders and Lutsen Fire Department were paged. When the first emergency responder arrived on the scene at 1:42 p.m., a second ambulance was requested for three patients— the truck driver and the occupants of the car.
Constance Almquist suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at North Shore Hospital. Her husband, Russell Almquist, 80, suffered serious injuries and was transported to North Shore Hospital and then Essentia Health in Duluth. Both of them were wearing seatbelts and the airbags in the car deployed.
Smith suffered a critical head injury and was transported to North Shore Hospital and then to a Duluth hospital. Because of his injuries, it is not known if he was wearing a seat belt or his explanation of the accident.
According to Minnesota State Trooper Michael Kobelinski, the truck driver did not yield at the bottom of the Caribou Trail. He said the State Patrol commercial vehicle inspector is conducting an inspection of the vehicle. At press time, a crash reconstruction was under way. Trooper Kobelinski said at this time the reason why the driver didn’t yield is undetermined.
Both vehicles were totaled. The semi was removed and towed by Lake City Towing.
The northbound lane of Highway 61 was blocked for several hours while waiting for a tow truck large enough to move the logging truck. The Maple Hill STOP team provided traffic control until it was removed, leaving the scene at approximately 8 p.m.
The STOP team was called to the scene again on Wednesday, March 9 to provide traffic control for several hours during the accident reconstruction investigation and while spilled logs were cleaned up from the side of the highway.
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