Accident near Killdeer kills 2, injures third

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After a recent snowstorm left area roads icy and treacherous, a fatal head-on collision occurred on an ice-covered State Highway 22 about four miles south of Killdeer Thursday morning.

A 50-year-old Dunn Center resident was traveling south to Dickinson in a 2005 General Motors Corp. U-Haul truck with his 8-year-old daughter when an unidentified 44-year-old male from Pendleton, Ore. and Dickinson, who was driving north to Keene in a 2006 Ford pickup, lost traction and slid into the oncoming lane, according to a press release from the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

The driver of the U-Haul applied the brakes but was unable to avoid the Ford pickup and the front of the U-Haul struck the Ford’s passenger doors, according to the release.

The U-Haul came to rest facing south on the road’s right shoulder and the Ford came to rest on the west edge of the road.

Sgt. Will Vance of the NDHP said the driver of the Ford pickup died at the scene.

The driver of the U-Haul, who is also a great-nephew of Sen. George Nodland, R-Dickinson, was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Health Center in Dickinson where he later passed away.

The victim’s wife and another daughter were driving behind the moving truck the father was driving, Nodland said.

“One little girl was with him and she’s OK … she’s scratched up pretty good,” Nodland said.

Nodland said his great-nephew moved to the area from California with his family just two days ago.

“They were bringing their moving van in to put the furniture in storage,” Nodland said.

All three involved in the crash were wearing seat belts.

Vance said there is no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved and whether speed was a factor is still under investigation.

Nodland is appealing to the public to slow down when driving.

“These people, they’re just driving way too fast on these roads… it’s scary,” Nodland said. “People have to slow down. They have to drive the road conditions.”

Tags: icy roads, news, accident, killdeer, weather