Two people injured in four-vehicle accident on I-35 in Steele County late Sunday morning

Two people were injured in a four-vehicle accident on Interstate 35 in Steele County late Sunday morning.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported that a 2017 Ford F350 pickup truck being driven by 35-year old Katelyn Marie Bonds of Peterson, Iowa, a 2006 Buick Rendezvous being driven by 21-year old Alexis Lezama of Albert Lea, a 2018 Chevy Tahoe being driven by 32-year old Alyssa R. Miller of Hillsdale, Illinois, and a 2021 GMC Sierra being driven by 66-year old Quentin James Hemann of Elko New Market were all southbound on Interstate 35 at approximately 11:37 a.m. Sunday morning when Lezama lost control of her vehicle and collided with the GMC Sierra being driven by Hemann.  Lezama’s vehicle then struck the median guardrail, went back into the left lane and collided with the Chevy Tahoe being driven by Miller.  After colliding with Miller’s Chevy, Lezama’s vehicle then collided with Bond’s pickup truck and came to rest in the median cables at milepost 41 in Owatonna Township.  

A passenger in Lezama’s vehicle, 16-year old Paw Shee, and a passenger in Miller’s vehicle, 6-year old Amilia Zitnik of Hillsdale, Illinois both sustained non-life threatening injuries in the accident, and they were both transported to Owatonna Hospital for treatment.  Barnes, Lezama, Miller, another passenger in Miller’s vehicle, 2-year old Gabriella Miller Zambrano of Hillsdale, Illinois, Hemann and three passengers in his vehicle, 1-year old Hazel Ann Hemann, 4-year old William Nathaniel Hemann and 68-year old Deborah Lynne Krings, all of Elko New Market were all uninjured.  

The State Patrol indicated that all parties involved in the accident were wearing their seatbelts, and the Steele County Sheriff’s Office, Mayo Ambulance and the Owatonna Fire Department all assisted the State Patrol  at the accident scene late Sunday morning.