A crash on northbound Highway 52 in Inver Grove Heights left a man dead Saturday afternoon as light snow and ice covered metro roadways.

The fatal crash occurred around 1:30 p.m. when 74-year-old Willard Henry Pohl, of Inver Grove Heights, lost control of his white Chevrolet pickup while merging onto northbound Highway 52 from Concord Boulevard.

Pohl crossed over the highway’s lanes and collided with a northbound Mazda CX-90 at the top of the ramp.

Pohl, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene. Authorities confirmed that alcohol was not a factor in the crash. The truck's airbags did not deploy, a crash report said.

The Mazda CX-90, driven by Bryan Charles Bredesen, 39, of Spring Valley, Minn., came to a stop in the left lane after the collision. All five passengers in the Mazda—ranging in age from 6 to 40—were not hurt. They were all properly restrained and the vehicle’s airbags deployed upon impact, the crash report said.

Road conditions at the time were snowy and icy, which is believed to have contributed to the crash. The State Patrol continues to investigate the incident. Through 10 p.m. on Saturday, the State Patrol had received reports of 239 crashes statewide, including 23 crashes involving injury. Seventy-nine drivers spun off the roadway, 6 vehicle spinouts were reported and 7 semis jack-knifed, the Patrol said.

> See more of our latest coverage

Follow on X or YouTube for more