More than 20 vehicles involved in crashes on I-29 near Grand Forks; one killed in crash on Highway 81
Feb. 20—GRAND FORKS — Winter weather made for deadly travel conditions in the northern Red River Valley on Monday, causing multiple crashes involving at least 21 vehicles on Interstate 29 and a fatal crash on County Highway 81 south of Grand Forks.
A 26-year-old Little Falls, Minnesota, woman was killed in the crash on Highway 81, about 5 miles southeast of Thompson. The crash involved a 2012 Kenworth semi truck and a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, according to a report from the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
The driver of the car, a 21-year-old Waite Park, Minnesota, man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the NDHP said. The semi driver, Ross Radermacher, 28, of Amenia, North Dakota, and his passenger, Curtis Mann, 39, of Durbin, North Dakota, were not injured.
The NDHP says the Chevy Cruze was northbound on County Road 81 just before 11:30 a.m. on the 400 block of 11th Street Northeast (Highway 81) when it crossed the centerline and struck the Kenworth at an angle. Both vehicles came to rest in the ditch.
The roads were covered in snow and there also was blowing snow at the time of the crash.
The woman, whose name has not been released, was pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the Chevrolet was transported to Altru Hospital in Grand Forks.
The crash happened shortly after multiple semi truck crashes were reported on Interstate 29 on Monday morning.
Starting around 9:48 a.m., poor visibility caused multiple crashes that were reported south of Grand Forks on northbound Interstate 29, the NDHP said in a separate report. The northbound lanes were closed a short time later from the Thompson exit to the 32nd Avenue South exit in Grand Forks while crews worked to remove the vehicles. Those crashes involved three commercial motor vehicles and five passenger cars, one of which rolled, the release said.
A short while later, multiple crashes happened on the southbound side of the interstate, also near mile marker 130, closing the southbound lanes of the interstate for most of the afternoon. Those crashes involved "eight commercial motor vehicles, four passenger cars, and a Thompson Fire & Rescue vehicle," the NDHP said.
The northbound lanes reopened around noon, but southbound lanes remained closed until about 6:30 p.m.
NDHP Sgt. Christopher Schaefer said there were no severe injuries reported from the 21 vehicles involved in the I-29 crashes. He noted one or two other vehicles may have been involved as well.
"Visibility was extremely poor and deteriorated very quickly as the snow continued falling," Schaefer said. "It almost seemed isolated to that area and that stretch of road. ... You didn't really see much else happening around the Red River Valley at that time — it was just that stretch of road."
The National Weather Service predicted Grand Forks could get as much as 6 inches of snow during the storm, along with cold, gusty winds. Winds are expected to pick up and temperatures to drop by Wednesday with highs in the single digits below zero for Grand Forks.
"We're still incredibly cold for late winter by the end of the week," WDAY meteorologist John Wheeler said during the station's 5 p.m. broadcast.
More snow may also be on the way over the next few days.
Wheeler said South Dakota and the Twin Cities may receive up to 18 inches of snow into Thursday.
"This one is going to be tough," Wheeler said.
Some measurable snow is expected throughout the Red River Valley later in the week, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS estimates that Fargo could see between 5-9 inches of snow through Thursday, while the northern part of the region, including Grand Forks, may see another 1-2 inches.
