Two vehicle accidents on October 17

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office responded to a rollover crash on the Gunflint Trail, approximately two miles below South Gunflint Lake Road, on Wednesday, October 17.

The initial call, just after 11 a.m., reported that a man was trapped in a white pickup in the northbound ditch and an ambulance was needed. The caller said extrication equipment may be required.

A Gunflint Trail Fire Department First Responder was first on the scene and was able to get the vehicle door open and the driver out. The driver, Frank Nicholas Ceo, of Grand Marais, was transported to North Shore Health with non-life-threatening injuries.
A Cook County Sheriff’s Deputy interviewed Ceo, who said he was driving south on the Gunflint Trail at about 30 miles per hour when he hit a patch of ice and spun out, hitting the northbound ditch and rolling over. The pickup ended up on its roof in the ditch.

His passenger, Cynthia Imsdahl-Ceo was not injured.

The vehicle was removed from the ditch and hauled away by Cook County Towing as it had received severe damage and was disabled.
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Emergency responders were called to Tofte General Store on Wednesday as well, for a car in the ditch.

The store called the Sheriff’s Office at 5:30 pm. to inform them that a car had rolled into the ditch, narrowly avoiding hitting the gas pumps and damaging the retaining wall between the store and Highway 61. The caller said there was a strong smell of gasoline from the car.

The gas pumps at the general store were turned off and the Tofte Fire Department was paged as a precaution.

Cook County Towing arrived at the store at about 7 p.m. and removed the battery from the vehicle, alleviating concerns of fire. The fire department was released from the scene.

The Sheriff’s Office learned that the vehicle was owned by Brehmer Harris, and was being driven by Ryan Munroe of Tofte.