Five people were injured in a two-vehicle collision Thursday, Dec. 17, in Kathio Township in Mille Lacs County.
The crash happened about 8:15 p.m. Andrew Olivarez, Garrison, was crossing southbound Highway 169 at Ojibwe Drive from the east in his 2000 Chevy Suburban when he struck a southbound 2019 Ford Transit driven by Amy Caroline Cross, of St. Cloud.
The 31-year-old Olivarez and 28-year-old Cross were wearing seat belts and airbags in both vehicles deployed in the crash. Neither driver suffered injuries, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
Several passengers in Crossâ vehicle, all of Onamia, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Darian Garcia Avilla, 14; Future Lee Benaiz; Michael Robert-Lee Helmers, 15; Marilyn Annette Lentz, 66; and Riley Lee Nemec, 14, were transported to Onamia Hospital. Other passengers in Crossâ van who were not injured were Joshua Tamba Harlee-Qualah, 14; Cody Roy Shrake, 13; and Alic Alan Somnis, 13.
First-responders from the Mille Lacs Tribe and the Mille Lacs County Sheriffâs Office assisted at the scene.
