Accidents abound on state highways over holiday weekend

A Stewart man was seriously injured Wednesday afternoon, in the first of four accidents that occurred over the Thanksgiving weekend.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the accident was reported at 1:54 p.m. and occurred on Highway 15 just south of Hutchinson. Leo M. Murphy, 56, of Fairfax, was southbound on Highway 15 in a 2005 Ford F-350, pulling a trailer, and was slowing to enter a residence on the left when the trailer was rear-ended by a 1997 Infiniti QX4 wagon driven by Ryan Redden, 35, of Stewart.
Redden was taken by ambulance to the Hutchinson hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Murphy was not hurt. Murphy was wearing a seat belt. It was unknown if Redden was wearing a seat belt, but the vehicle’s air bags did deploy. Alcohol was not a factor in the accident, according to the state patrol.
Also responding were the McLeod County Sheriff’s Office, Hutchinson Fire Department and Allina Ambulance.
A Gaylord woman using her phone caused a chain-reaction accident involving four cars on Highway 15 near Brownton Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 23, the first of three accidents in as many reported on state highways in the area. The accident was reported at 2:30 p.m.
 

Read the full story in the Nov. 30 edition of The McLeod County Chronicle.