Updated: Highway 169 in Grand Rapids Closes After Lumber Truck Crashes Into Prairie River

Update:

The Minnesota State Patrol has released more information on the crash that closed a portion of Highway 169 in Grand Rapids Thursday.

The report states that at about 12:35 p.m. on February 16, 56-year-old Darren James Hughes of Grand Rapids was traveling southbound on Highway 169 in his 2019 Ford F550. The vehicle then veered into the median without braking or swerving. The pickup truck hit the southbound left bridge guard rail before rolling into the median and coming to a rest in the median upside down.

Hughes was airlifted to a Duluth hospital after sustaining life-threatening injuries. He was wearing his seat belt, and no alcohol was involved. Road conditions were dry at the time of the accident.

The following agencies all assisted on the scene: Grand Rapids, Cohasset and Trout Lake Fire Departments; Coleraine, Bovey and Grand Rapids Police Departments, and Itasca County Sheriff’s Office.

Original Post:

Highway 169 in Grand Rapids was closed on Thursday after a lumber truck went off the road and into the Prairie River that afternoon.

The Minnesota State Patrol has not released any information yet, but the Grand Rapids Herald reports that a Latvala lumber truck flipped into the river. A Life Flight helicopter responded to the scene, and traffic was diverted to LaPrairie when the road was closed.

Lakeland News will update this story with more information when it becomes available.