Logging truck accident near Lutsen injures three

As reported live on WTIP March, 7, three people were injured Tuesday afternoon in an automobile accident involving a logging truck that spilled its cargo across Highway 61 near Lutsen and the Caribou Trail.

None of the individuals involved in the accident are from Cook County.

According to a news release from the Minnesota State Patrol, Brandon Smith, 32, of International Falls, and Constance and Russell Almquist, both 80, of Bloomington, Minn., were taken from the scene by ambulance. Smith, the driver of the logging truck, and Constance Almquist were taken to North Shore Hospital and Care Center in Grand Marais. The hospital said Constance Almquist is in good condition, while Smith was transferred to another hospital. Russell Almquist was taken to Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, where he is reported by the hospital to be in fair condition.

The Almquists were traveling north in a Honda Accord on Highway 61 when it struck the spilled logs. Constance was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. The car was buried by the spilled logs and ended up underneath the logs in the ditch, according to Mike Kobelinski with the Minnesota State Patrol. The logging truck had come to rest on its side, blocking the northbound lane of Highway 61.

The crash is under investigation. No statements from Smith have been given to the State Patrol at this time. According to witness reports, Smith’s truck did not yield or stop at the stop sign posted at the end of the Caribou Trail. A commercial-vehicle inspection is underway to help determine the cause of the crash.

Smith had been traveling east on Caribou Trail and attempting to turn south onto Highway 61 when the truck overturned shortly after 1:30 p.m.