BACKUS, Minn. — Three people are dead following a crash on a heavily-used highway in northern Minnesota late Thursday.
The State Patrol says a GMC Yukon was traveling north on Highway 371 near Backus shortly after 11 p.m. when the driver of a Chevy Uplander, headed eastbound on 16th Street NW, failed to stop at a stop sign and struck the GMC broadside.
Killed in the incident were the driver of the GMC, 55-year-old Jeffrey Wertish of Ellendale; his passenger, 59-year-old Robert Charles Nelson of Carver; and the driver of the Chevy, 34-year-old Lenny Steffen of Backus.
The lone survivor of the crash is a passenger in the GMC, 25-year-old Jared Wertish of Ellendale. He was transported to Essentia Healthcare in Brainerd.
At this point the state patrol website says it is unknown if alcohol or drugs were involved in the fatal collision.
The Minnesota State Patrol, Cass County Sheriff's deputies, Backus FD and North Memorial Ambulance all responded to the scene.
