Alcohol Suspected In Head-On Crash In Northern Minnesota That Killed Woman, Severely Injured Another

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A northern Minnesota woman died Monday after a pickup truck passing another vehicle on Highway 200 slammed head-on into her SUV. Investigators say the driver of the pickup had been drinking.

The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened shortly before 2 p.m. at the two-lane highway's intersection with 44th Avenue Northwest, near Walker in Cass County. A speeding Chevrolet Silverado traveling east passed another vehicle, moving into the westbound lane, where the truck collided head-on with a Hyundai Tucson.

Killed in the crash was the Hyundai's driver, 53-year-old Virginia Marie Stewart of Longville. She died at the scene.

A passenger in the pickup, a 39-year-old Sauk Rapids woman, was thrown from the vehicle. Investigators say she suffered life-threatening injuries and was hospitalized. She was not wearing a seat belt.

The pickup's driver, a 39-year-old Walker man, was hurt and hospitalized but is expected to survive. The patrol says that he had been drinking prior to the crash. He was also not wearing a seat belt.

Road conditions were dry at the time of the crash.