Crash victim identified

The victim of a fatal two-vehicle collision Sunday near South Long Lake has been identified as Rita Cronquist, 37, rural Brainerd.

About 6:45 p.m. Cronquist was driving southbound on Crow Wing County Road 23 when she collided broadside with a pickup driven by Donald Nyvold, 20, Maple Grove, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department reported Monday.

Mrs. Cronquist was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. She was wearing a seat belt, the sheriff's department reported. An autopsy is scheduled with the Crow Wing County coroner.

Four passengers in Cronquist's vehicle also were injured. Christopher Conroy, 19, Brainerd, was airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, where Monday he was reported in critical condition.

Cronquist's three other passengers, her husband Kevin Cronquist, 37, and her sons Justin Cronquist, 17, and Tyler Cronquist, 14, were transported to St. Joseph's Medical Center, where Monday Justin Cronquist was discharged and Kevin Cronquist was reported in fair condition. Information on Tyler Cronquist's condition was unavailable Monday.

Nyvold was treated at the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby and released.

Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang said Nyvold, who was driving westbound on Crow Wing County Road 22, was looking at a GPS unit and drove through the stop sign at Crow Wing County Road 23 when he was struck broadside by Cronquist's vehicle.

On Monday Klang said both vehicles appeared to have been traveling about 55 mph when they collided.

"It's pretty sad. The whole family was in the vehicle and to have that life taken that quick, it's traumatic," Klang said. "It's sad story."

Sheriff's investigators were at the scene of the crash Monday to reconstruct the collision, Klang said.

MATT ERICKSON can be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.