Two killed when car turns in front of motorcycles on central Minnesota highway

James and Michelle Young
This Oct. 28, 2017, photo provided by Kim Montour, shows James and Michelle Young, of St. Cloud, Minn., who were killed Saturday, July 7, 2018, when a car collided with three motorcycles in central Minnesota, according to the State Patrol. The couple were driving two of the bikes.
Kim Montour via AP

Updated: 2:50 p.m. | Posted: 11:15 a.m.

A St. Cloud couple died Saturday when a vehicle turned in front of a group of motorcycles on a central Minnesota highway.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported that the crash happened at about 11:20 a.m. on State Highway 23 at 160th Street in Kandiyohi County, between Paynesville and New London.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

The Patrol said a Chevrolet Monte Carlo was traveling west on Highway 23 and making a left turn when it turned in front of a group of eastbound Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Two motorcycles hit the car; the operator of a third laid the motorcycle down on the roadway to avoid a collision.

The riders on the two motorcycles that hit the car died at the scene; the Patrol on Sunday identified them as James Young, 42, and Michelle Young, 44, both of St. Cloud. An online fundraising page set up for the family said they were the parents of five children, ages 12 to 22.

The operator and a passenger on the third motorcycle were transported to the Paynesville hospital; one of them was later airlifted to St. Cloud. The Patrol identified them as James Young, 61, and Melissa Mayo, 38, both of Sauk Rapids, Minn., and described their injuries as non-life-threatening. The Patrol did not say whether the younger and elder James Young were related.

The Patrol said the driver of the car, 21-year-old Christina Knutson of Bricelyn, Minn., and a 24-year-old passenger were not injured.