Two accidents over the weekend have taken the lives of Wright County residents.
A 25-year-old Buffalo woman was killed early Saturday after she was struck by a train at a crossing near Independence.
The Minnesota State Patrol
Paulina Lang, Buffalo, was headed south on County Road 92 when she was stopped at the crossing, an engineer told authorities early Saturday, March 8. He then saw the driver of the vehicle pull through the train crossing.
Authorities said arms that drop were functional at the crossing. The gates are standard, complete with bells and flashing lights, according to Burlington Northern Sante Fe.
The westbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train struck Lang’s 2013 compact car, a Chevy Spark, and she died at the scene. There were no passengers, and no one on the train was injured in the crash, which happened about 1:15 a.m.
Police are investigating the crash and awaiting toxicology results, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
A separate, head-on accident Friday killed an Annandale man and sent a 50-year-old man and his 11-year son to two different hospitals when the driver of one vehicle crossed the median near Maple Lake and caused the crash.
Alan D. Paulson, 53, of Annandale, died from injuries sustained in the crash at North Memorial Medical Center, according to information released by the Hennepin County medical examiner’s office.
Gregory A. Kramber and his son, Joshua, were both injured in the crash. Gregory was treated at North Memorial for serious injuries, but released over the weekend. Joshua was treated at Buffalo Hospital for minor injruies.
The crash, which happened on Highway 55 around 11:20 a.m., was caused by icy conditions, authorities from the Minnesota State Patrol said.