DEERWOOD — The name of the 53-year-old Merrifield man, who was killed when the pickup truck he was driving crashed with a semitrailer on Crow Wing County Road 12, approximately two miles west of Deerwood, has been identified as Raymond J. Richard, reported the Minnesota State Patrol.
Richard was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the semitrailer, 47-year-old William Hanson of Cloquet, was treated at the scene and released.
The state patrol, investigating the fatal crash that was reported at 11:24 a.m., reported that there were three vehicles involved in the crash.
It was reported that Richard was west on County Road 12 and lost control and went across the centerline and was struck broadside by the semitrailer. The semitrailer went into the right ditch and the trailer attached onto Richard’s truck was struck by a third vehicle, another semitrailer. The second semi driver was Daniel A. Erickson, 50, Poplar, Wis., who was not injured.
Authorities had to close the county road that had icy conditions where the crash occurred.
Assisting the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office at the scene was the Minnesota State Patrol, the Crosby and Deerwood Police Departments, Crosby Fire Department, Deerwood First Responder and the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center/Crosby Ambulance Service.
