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Four young men were killed Friday night when the car they were riding in was hit broadside on an icy southern Minnesota highway, the Minnesota State Patrol said. 

Authorities said John Mangen, 18, of Fairfax; Caleb Quesenberry, 17, of St. Peter; Payton Adams, 17, of Sleepy Eye and Tyler Hadley, 20, of Sleepy Eye, were all dead at the scene.

All four were passengers in a Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Kansas Adams, 19, of Sleepy Eye. Adams suffered serious injuries in the crash. State Patrol spokesman Lt. Roeske said authorities believe Payton and Kansas Adams were brothers.

The pickup's three passengers, including two children, suffered non-life threatening injuries.
During a news conference Saturday, Roeske said the crash was similar to the one that killed three Carleton College students a week ago.

State troopers have responded to thousands of incidents on icy roads in the past few weeks,Roeske said.

"This tragedy as well as the one last week outside of Northfield illustrates that at the wrong time and the wrong place, simple losing control on an icy road can be absolutely devastating," he said.

The Pontiac was westbound on Highway 14 just west of Sleepy Eye when it lost control on a curve and was hit broadside by a Dodge Ram pickup in the eastbound lanes, the State Patrol said.

Roeske said the cause of the crash was still under investigation and said investigators did not yet know where Adams and his passengers were headed. No alcohol was detected on the pickup's driver, Douglas Wiborg of New Ulm. 

Roeske said none of the three passengers in the back of the Pontiac were wearing seat belts and it's unclear if the front-seat passenger was belted.

The State Patrol said Sleepy Eye police and rescuers responded to the scene, as well as the Brown County Sheriff.

Sleepy Eye Mayor James Broich said some residents are staying home and avoiding the roads after hearing about the crash.

 
"People are kind of in shock and kind of getting their wits together. More and more people are becoming aware of the tragedy that happened, and it's an unfortunate thing," he said.

Disasters

Elizabeth Dunbar

Author

The Pontiac was westbound on Highway 14 just west of Sleepy Eye when it lost control on a curve and was hit broadside by a Dodge Ram pickup in the eastbound lanes, the State Patrol said.


4 killed in crash near Sleepy Eye

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