ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — A crash in the north metro during Monday morning's rush hour has claimed the life of a 23-month-old girl.
Ramsey County sheriff's spokesperson Steve Linders says deputies responded around 8:30 a.m. to the intersection of Highway 10 and Country Road 96 in Arden Hills on reports of a collision. When they arrived on scene deputies found a badly damaged pickup truck that had been struck in the passenger side by a school bus.
Inside the pickup was a 31-year-old man, his 29-year-old wife, their 15-year-old son and 23-month-old daughter. Responders learned the toddler wasn't breathing and immediately began CPR until paramedics arrived. The little girl was rushed to Regions Hospital but did not survive. Her older brother was also hospitalized with leg injuries.
Neither the father or mother of the children was hurt in the crash.
The female driver of the school bus was also transported to Regions as a precaution, but did not appear to be seriously injured.
A third vehicle was hit by the pickup following the initial crash, but no one inside that car was hurt.
Linders says the Minnesota State Patrol is reconstructing the crash, but early information suggests the bus was proceeding east on County Road 96 when it struck the pickup, which was westbound on 96 and turning left to go south on Highway 10. Deputies noted no signs of impairment in either driver.
The incident remains under investigation. Anyone who witnessed what happened is asked to call the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office at 651-266-7331.
There was another fatal crash in Ramsey County during Monday morning's commute, this one claiming the life of a 51-year-old woman from North Branch. The State Patrol website says just before 8:30 a.m. a southbound Ford Expedition rear ended a Dodge Dart on Highway 61 in White Bear Lake Township that was also headed south but had stopped to turn left.
Investigators say the impact pushed the Dodge into the northbound lanes of 61, where an oncoming vehicle struck it head-on. The woman driving the Dart did not survive. At this point, it is uncertain whether the driver of the Expedition, a 44-year-old woman from Chisago City, will be charged in the fatal crash.
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