NDHP releases name of woman who crashed into flooded ditch in northeast North Dakota
Apr. 19—ROLETTE COUNTY, N.D. — The identity of the 54-year-old woman who died in a rollover crash on Sunday morning, April 16, has been released.
Dawn Lecy-Nadeau, from Cando, was driving a 2004 Ford Escape. At the time, the roadway was covered in water caused by snowmelt, according to a press release.
According to a press release from the North Dakota Highway Patrol, law enforcement responded to the crash at 7:43 a.m., at the intersection of North Dakota 66 and 47th Avenue Northeast, near Mylo.
However, according to Sgt. Matthew Johnson, the crash most likely happened a while before, when it was still dark.
The road wasn't closed prior to the crash because the flooding happened "pretty much overnight," Johnson said.
"When I arrived on scene, it was much later. The water had receded off the roadway. But I was told that when my troopers got there, it was ... covering the roadway," Johnson said.
Lecy-Nadeau lost control of the vehicle and veered into the ditch. The vehicle rolled over and came to rest on its roof in the flooded ditch. It has not been determined whether her death can be attributed to drowning or crash-related injuries.
The crash remains under investigation.
If drivers find themselves in a similar situation, Johnson advises them to be aware of their surroundings and treat water on roads "sort of like ice."
"The water can make you hydroplane, and that can make you lose control pretty quickly, so if you try to slam on your brakes or anything like that, that may exacerbate the situation," Johnson said. "... Try to just keep the steering input in as much as possible ... get off the gas ... let your engine slow you down, if you can."
