Six people were injured in separate crashes over the weekend on icy portions of Interstate 35 near Albert Lea.

The injuries were deemed not life-threatening.

In the first crash, at 12:12 p.m. Saturday, Sandra S. Katz, 61, of Mason City was reportedly driving a 2002 Ford Ranger southbound on I-35 near the Trail’s Travel Center exit when she lost control of the pickup and crossed the median, striking a 2014 GMC Arcadia, driven by Jeffrey L. Johnson, 32, of Harcourt, Iowa.

Katz and her passenger, Bobbie J. Medlin, 42, of Nevada, Iowa, were not injured, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

Johnson and his passenger, Victoria R. Johnson, 29, of Harcourt were transported to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea, according to the report.

All four occupants were wearing their seat belts, and no alcohol was detected.

In the second crash, at 2:54 p.m. Saturday, Sara C. Sparks, 36, of Alden, Iowa, was driving a 2007 Chevy Silverado northbound on I-35 when she hit an icy patch on the roadway. She reportedly lost control of the pickup, ran off the road into the right ditch and rolled, according to the State Patrol.

The crash took place near mile 14, three miles north of Albert Lea.

Sparks and her three passengers, Marilyn K. Sharp, 61, of Phoenix, Jillian C. Sparks, 3, and Nathaniel C. Sparks, 5, were transported to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea. The report did not state where the children were from but noted they were both belted and in their child seats.

It is unknown whether Sara Sparks was wearing her seat belt or if alcohol was a factor. Sharp was wearing her seat belt.

 

5 die in crashes on icy Minnesota roads

At least five people died in crashes on icy highways as 1 to 2 inches of snow fell across much of Minnesota this weekend.

The State Patrol said a three-car crash killed one person around 9:15 a.m. Sunday on an icy stretch of Interstate 94 at the Crow River Bridge near Rogers.

All three cars were eastbound when a Toyota Corolla lost control and spun out, causing a Buick LaCrosse to strike a Pontiac G6. The Pontiac then left the road and struck a piece of construction equipment on the right side of the road, the patrol said.

The driver of the Pontiac was killed. The victim’s name and hometown were not immediately released. The other two drivers suffered no apparent injuries.

On Saturday, Angelica Salas, 29, of Lester Prairie, and Jorge Salas, 6, whose hometown wasn’t listed, died in a crash just before 2 p.m. on U.S. Highway 212 in Carver County. They were passengers in a car that spun sideways and was broadsided by an oncoming pickup truck. The driver and a 4-year-old boy were seriously injured. The pickup driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The patrol said Patrick Thomes, 47, of Clearwater, died in a crash around 3 p.m. Saturday on I-94 in Stearns County. His pickup left the road and rolled, coming to rest in the center median. He died later at St. Cloud Hospital.

And Terry Wiederich, 49, of Gary, South Dakota, was killed about 3:15 p.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 71 near Willmar when his pickup lost control, left the road and rolled before coming to rest in the median. A passenger was not injured.