Four die in weekend crashes on Minnesota roads

Four people died in three crashes over the weekend on Minnesota roads.

Two people died in a single-vehicle crash early Sunday in northern Anoka County.

The Anoka County Sheriff's Office reported that the crash happened just after 1 a.m. on 229th Avenue Northwest at Arrowhead Street in St. Francis.

"Law enforcement arrived on scene and the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames," the sheriff's office reported in a news release. "The St. Francis Fire Department extinguished the fire and two people were found deceased inside of the vehicle."

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Authorities said it appears the vehicle was traveling west when it went into the south ditch, hit a tree and caught fire.

The names of those who died have not been released. The crash remains under investigation.

On Saturday morning, two drivers died in separate crashes about 15 minutes apart along State Highway 55 west of the Twin Cities.

The State Patrol reported that Steven Cullinan, 49, of Buffalo, Minn., died when a westbound semi crossed the median and struck his eastbound car head-on. That crash happened at about 10:45 a.m. near Rebecca Park Trail, just east of Rockford.

Two people in the semi suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the Patrol reported.

Just after 11 a.m. Saturday, Chad Rannow, 47, of Silver Lake, Minn., died when his Jeep Liberty left Highway 55 and went into a ditch near South Haven. The Patrol reported that the SUV hit a driveway approach before coming to rest.