2 Dead in Northeast Minnesota Head-On Crash
Authorities in St. Louis County are investigating a head-on crash that left two drivers dead Thursday.
The two-vehicle crash was first reported around 8:51 a.m. on Oct. 24 in the 9100 block of Biss Road in an unincorporated area just west of Britt, Minn.
According to a witness at the scene, 76-year-old Frank Bertram Ratliff, of Angora, Minn., was driving a pickup eastbound on Biss Road and appeared to drift off onto the southbound shoulder. Ratliff reportedly overcorrected, causing his vehicle to cross over the center line and collide head-on with another pickup traveling westbound, driven by 69-year-old Steven Craig Shoden, of Virginia, Minn.
First responders arrived to find both drivers critically injured and both men were pronounced dead at the scene. No other passengers were involved in the crash and the names of the drivers are being withheld as officials work to notify the victims' families.
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the Minnesota State Patrol, who will reconstruct the crash as part of the investigation. Reconstruction efforts typically involve gathering precise measurements and examining the vehicles' final positions to determine what factors may have contributed to the collision.
Investigators are continuing to review whether road conditions, vehicle malfunctions or possible medical events played a role in the crash. Further information will be released once the investigation progresses.
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