Edina man killed, two Mower County residents injured after four-vehicle accident on I-35 in Rice County

An Edina man was killed and two Mower County residents were injured after a four-vehicle accident that occurred late Friday afternoon on Interstate 35 in Rice County.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported that a 2004 Dodge Dakota, 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2012 Mini Cooper and 2003 Chevy Trailblazer were southbound on Interstate 35 when they collided at about 5:35 p.m. late Friday afternoon at Highway 19 in Webster Township, Rice County.

The driver of the Mini Cooper, 55-year old Michael Rae Bendel-Stenzel of Edina was killed in the accident.  Two passengers in Stenzel’s vehicle, 53-year old Ellen Margaret Bendel-Stenzel and 20-year old Linus Michel Bendel-Stenzel, both of Edina, were transported to Hennepin County Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the Trailblazer, 22-year old Kaytlen Paige Greenlee, of Adams, and a passenger, 25-year old Megan Rebecca Koch, of Austin, were transported to Faribault Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.  The driver of the Subaru, 49-year old Jami Kenney of Faribault and the driver of the Dodge, 60-year old Daniel John Otis of Northwood, Iowa and a passenger in his vehicle, 66-year old Michael Vincent Otis of Polk City, Iowa were all uninjured.  

The State Patrol indicated that all parties involved in the accident were wearing their seatbelts, and the Rice County Sheriff’s Office, North Memorial Air Care, the Northfield Police Department and ambulance service, plus the Lonsdale Fire Department and ambulance service all assisted the State Patrol at the accident scene.