A two-vehicle crash claimed the life of a 77-year-old man Friday.
Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen reported his office received a report of a two-vehicle crash about 9:55 p.m. Friday near the 16900 block of Nature Road west of Royalton.
Deputies responded to the scene in Bellevue Township.
They found a semitrailer was facing westbound and the driver was backing the trailer into a driveway approach south of Nature Road. The trailer of the semitractor-trailer was across the roadway and a Mitsubishi Eclipse car driving east on Nature Road struck the trailer, which was in the eastbound driving lane.
The semitrailer driver, Shawn Willhite, 37, of Royalton, was not reported injured. The driver of the Mitsubishi Eclipse car was identified as Virgil Girtz, 77, of Royalton and pronounced dead at the scene.
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The registered owner of the semitrailer is Lake State Transport out of St. Cloud.
The Morrison County Sheriff's Office was assisted at the scene by the Royalton Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol, Royalton Fire Department, Royalton First Response
Team and Gold Cross Ambulance.
Larsen said the case is still under investigation.
