A rural Wright County crash involving nine teens from the area sent all of them to local hospitals Sunday night, including the driver of the pickup involved.
The single-vehicle crash occurred near French Lake Township, west of Maple Lake, shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday.
The Wright County Sheriff’s Office reported that at approximately 10:05 p.m. the Wright County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a report of a single vehicle roll-over accident with injuries. The accident occurred at the intersection of Wright County Road 25 Northwest and Peyton Avenue Northwest in French Lake Township.
Deputies from the sheriff’s office found the vehicle, a 1998 Chevy S10 pickup, severely damaged in a bean field near the intersection. The vehicle had been occupied by nine passengers, two inside the truck cab and seven in the truck bed. All nine occupants were transported to various hospitals for injuries.
The truck’s driver – Blayne Kovisto, 16,of Dassel – was the most severely injured. Kovisto was transported via Life Link Air Care to Hennepin County Medical Center.
Others injured were:
Front Seat Passenger – Nels Wuollet, 16, Dassel – Allina Ambulance to Buffalo Hospital, transferred to North Memorial Hospital.
Truck Bed Passenger – Ryan Raisanen, 17, Greenfield – Maple Lake Ambulance to St Cloud Hospital.
Truck Bed Passenger – Kyle Laho, 16, Corcoran – Allina Ambulance to Buffalo Hospital, transferred to North Memorial Hospital.
Truck Bed Passenger – Clayton Johnson, 15, Dassel – Cokato Ambulance to Buffalo Hospital, transferred to North Memorial Hospital.
Truck Bed Passenger – Niklas Lee, 15, Greenfield – Cokato Ambulance to Buffalo Hospital.
Truck Bed Passenger – Payton Halonen, 15, Monticello – Cokato Ambulance to Buffalo Hospital.
Truck Bed Passenger – Chad Hoikka, 15, Cokato – Cokato Ambulance to Buffalo Hospital.
Truck Bed Passenger – Garrett Keplinger, 15, Cokato – Cokato Ambulance to Buffalo Hospital.
Also responding to the accident for assistance were the Cokato Fire Department, Howard Lake Fire Department, and Howard Lake Ambulance. The accident is under investigation by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.