Just south of Rochester on July 17, a woman was killed in a head-on crash on U.S. 52.
The woman, 76-year-old Evelyn Yvonne Fisher of Chatfield, was the passenger in a minivan that was driven by her husband, William, 80, and two teenagers. The Chatfield family was traveling north, but Mr. Fisher made a left turn into a BP gas station in the Marion community when it was hit by a Chevrolet Tahoe that was heading south on the highway.
The Minnesota State Patrol says that four other individuals were hurt in the wreck at the 54th Street and 52 South intersection around 11:55 a.m.
William and Evelyn were taken to St. Mary’s Hospital. The State Patrol said that Mrs. Fisher suffered life threatening injuries and Mr. Fisher suffered minor injuries. Early the next morning, the Mayo Clinic reported that Mrs. Fisher had passed from the injuries sustained in the accident. The two other passengers, 16-year-old Catharine A. Lind and 15-year-old Christine M. Lind, also sustained non-life threatening injuries and were transported to St. Mary’s Hospital.
The driver of the Tahoe, 18-year-old Deryck D. Forbes, wasn’t injured in the accident. His passenger, 21-year-old Victoria D. Ulring, had very minor injuries.
The aunt of Forbes said that the minivan had turned in front of the SUV. She stated that Deryck Forbes was injured in the accident, but the ambulance crew allegedly failed to check him out, so he had to go to the emergency room later. She said part of the reason why the ambulance crew failed to check him out was that the police had him in the back of a cruiser questioning him about the accident and doing a vehicle search without any reason to do so. She said he felt terrible, although it was not his fault and said the news media made it sound as if it was his fault, making him feel worse about something he could not have done anything about.
The aunt was responding to the news coverage regarding the accident. The Minnesota Department of Transportation detoured traffic so they could investigate the crash.
Also responding to the crash was the Rochester Fire Department, Gold Cross Ambulance, and the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.