Driver Killed After Semi-Truck Rolls Over Near Northfield
NORTHFIELD, Minn. (WCCO) – A semi-truck driver is dead after a rollover accident on Highway 3 just south of Northfield Thursday afternoon, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
Authorities said the accident happened at about 12:37 p.m. near the intersection of Highway 3 and Detelemark Road, about two miles south of Northfield. In that area, Highway 3 is a rural stretch of two-lane highway between Northfield and Faribault.
The State Patrol said a 1999 Peterbuilt Conventional semi-truck rolled over, killing the driver. Authorities say the truck was traveling southbound on Highway 3 when it left the road way, went into the east ditch and struck a set of power poles. It's not yet known what company the driver was working for or what caused the semi-truck to veer off the road.
Authorities closed Highway 3 for several hours as a result of the crash, which is still under investigation by the Minnesota State Patrol and the Rice County Sheriff's Office. The highway reopened just after 4:30 p.m.
The identity of the driver has not yet been released.