A two-car collision near mile marker 97 in Lutsen at approximately 3:33 p.m. on Sunday, February 26, 2012, resulted in significant damage to both vehicles, but no serious injury. Tempers flared at the scene, however, and law enforcement was called not only to investigate the accident, but also to settle the dispute between drivers.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Richard Devuono, 42, Thunder Bay, was traveling east on Highway 61 in a line of cars traveling slowly because of the bad weather. Devuono pulled out and passed several cars and as he pulled back into the traffic lane, he lost control of his vehicle, a dark-blue 2006 Buick Century.
As Devuono lost control, a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria, owned by Jim’s Taxi Inc. of Duluth, and driven by Robert Watkins, 52, Duluth, approached. When Watkins saw the other vehicle losing control, he braked and attempted to swerve to avoid a collision. His vehicle spun around and the Buick hit the rear end of the taxi, bursting one of its tires, scraping the passenger side of the taxi, and pushing the taxi off the highway, far into the ditch on the lower side of the road.
Bystanders called to report a fight between the two drivers, but State Patrol Officer Aaron Schmidt said things were calm when he got there. “There was a little bit of shoving,” Schmidt said.
Cook County Ambulance responded and although the passenger in the Buick, Shirley Devuono, 66, complained of minor chest pain and Watkins said he had some back pain, none of the parties were transported to the hospital. Trooper Schmidt said it was likely that the injuries were from seatbelt and airbag deployments.
Both vehicles suffered major damage. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, although Schmidt said, “It was pretty close.”
Other drivers reported that Devuono was driving “recklessly” and he was cited for failure to drive with due care.
Leave a Reply