2 killed, 2 critically injured in Cottage Grove wrong-way crash

COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. -- Public safety officials in Cottage Grove say two people are dead following a wrong-way crash Sunday morning.

The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash occurred at around 8:15 a.m. on northbound Highway 61, between 80th Street and Jamaica Avenue. A sedan -- driven by 95-year-old Julia Ann Bild, from Cottage Grove -- was traveling the wrong way on the highway when it struck an SUV with three passengers.

Bild died, along with 32-year-old Tanya Ann Mott, from Lakeville, who was a passenger in the SUV. The driver of the SUV and his other passenger -- both from Prescott, Wisconsin -- are in the hospital with critical injuries.

The crash lead to several hours of traffic delays, with many of the drivers who witnessed it pulling over to help.  

Ray Hughes took his dog for a walk along the frontage road overlooking where the crash happened.

"It was terrible. It happened right in front of my house," Hughes said. "We need more people like that to stop and help out when people are in need on the side of the road, whether it's an accident or a flat tire or whatever."

This marks the second fatal crash on the highway in three days. On late Friday evening, two teenagers were killed on Highway 61 near Lower Afton Road in St. Paul. Two other teens were injured in the crash. All involved were also from Prescott.

The state patrol is investigating.