The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating two separate crashes just minutes apart this morning in Ramsey County that left two people dead and at least one with serious injuries.

The first crash occurred at 8:22 a.m. in White Bear Township at the intersection of Highway 61 and Leibel Street.

According to the State Patrol, a 2020 Ford Expedition was southbound on Highway 61 when the driver rear-ended a 2016 Dodge Dart. The impact pushed the Dodge Dart into the northbound lanes of Highway 61 where it was struck head-on by a 2008 Volvo XC90.

The driver of the Dodge Dart, a 51-year-old woman from North Branch, died at the scene.

A 15-year-old male passenger in the Ford Expedition and the 30-year-old female driver of the Volvo XC90 were both taken to Regions Hospital with suspected non-life-threatening injuries.  

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The second crash happened at around 8:30 a.m. in Arden Hills at the intersection of Highway 96 & Highway 10. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office says deputies arrived and found a school bus had struck the passenger side of a pickup truck. The school bus did not have any students on board at the time.

Deputies located a 23-month-old girl who was a passenger in the pickup truck. She was reportedly not breathing and deputies immediately began CPR. Allina paramedics arrived and transported the infant to Regions Hospital where she was pronounced deceased.

A 15-year-old male passenger in the pickup truck suffered serious injuries to his legs and the driver of the school bus was taken to the hospital as a precaution. The adult parents of the juveniles in the pickup truck were not physically injured.

Preliminary information says the bus was headed east on Highway 96 when the westbound pickup truck turned to go southbound Highway 10 in front of the bus.

Investigators say there were no apparent signs of impairment. They are asking anyone who was in the area when the crash happened to call 651-266-7331.

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