The first harsh blast of winter in the Brainerd lakes area kept emergency personnel on the move Thursday, responding to numerous reports of crashes and vehicles off the road.
After the rainfall turned into snowflakes overnight, blowing snow and icy roads made for difficult travel conditions for the morning commute in the Brainerd lakes area. Sgt. Neil Dickenson of the Minnesota State Patrol reported between 6 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Thursday, Brainerd district state troopers responded to six crashes with injuries, seven crashes resulting in property damage and 18 vehicles off the road on state highways.
Deputies with the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office assisted at six of the crashes responded to by the state patrol and were also on scene at two property damage crashes: one on Green Gables Road and another on County Highway 1 near Emily. Deputies also responded to several downed trees, felled by strong winds, impeding roads in the early morning hours.
"Needless to say, it was a busy morning," said Lt. Joe Meyer.
Area emergency personnel responded to two crashes just before 10 a.m. Thursday.
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One crash was a mile south of Brainerd on Business Highway 371, near Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge. The crash report from the Minnesota State Patrol noted conditions were icy at the time of the broadside crash, which sent Robert A. and Carol A. Anderson of Fort Ripley to Essentia Health-St. Joseph's Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Robert A. Anderson was driving a 2009 Toyota Venza northbound on the highway when the vehicle broadsided a 1997 Ford pickup truck traveling southbound, driven by Kaleb K. Cherene, 17, of Brainerd. Cherene suffered no apparent injury in the crash. The Brainerd police and fire departments assisted at the scene.
Another at nearly the same time occurred on Highway 210 between Airport Road and White Pine Drive. The Brainerd Fire Department was called to respond to the crash, although crews were reportedly canceled en route. Additional information about the crash was unavailable Thursday afternoon, although the fire department reported there were injuries.
On the Minnesota Department of Transportation's 511 website, which tracks road conditions and crashes throughout the state, several spin outs on area roads were reported. At 8 a.m., a vehicle was reported to have spun out 3 miles west of Randall. Conditions remained icy in that area for at least the next two hours, as another vehicle spun out along the same stretch of road between Azure Road and 270th Street. A crash was also reported 5 miles north of Lastrup between 253rd Street and Morrison County Road 129 shortly after 8 a.m.
Dickenson said Thursday's weather was a "reminder to drivers to reduce your speed, increase your following distances, wear your seat belt and avoid distractions while traveling on poor road conditions."
CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 218-855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey .
