Alcohol suspected in fatal crash in Cass County

State Patrol officials believe alcohol may have played a role in a fatal car crash in north central Minnesota Tuesday afternoon.

Roy Lovelace, 49, of Minneapolis, died from injuries resulting from the head-on collision, which happened shortly after 4 p.m. on Highway 371 about 7 miles north of Walker, according to police.

Lovelace was the passenger in a 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser headed south on Highway 371 when the driver, Richard Norton, 25, crossed the center line in a curve and hit a 2003 Dodge Dakota in the northbound lane.

Officials detected alcohol on Norton, who lives in Cass Lake. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital and suffered non life-threatening injuries.

Lovelace died en route to the hospital, according to the State Patrol.

The driver of the second car was identified as Chris Larson, 29, of Atwater. Larson suffered only minor injuries, official said.

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