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The last 4-person fatality was back in 1988
That collision had local victims
Published Monday, August 24, 2009
Four people died in a collision on Interstate 90 on Wednesday. Scribble Aug. 19, 2009, down in the local history books because the last time Freeborn County had a quadruple fatality on its roads was more than two decades ago.
Unlike the crash on Wednesday, the one 21 years ago had local victims and took place on county roads.
In the early minutes of Sunday, Sept. 4, 1988, four people were pronounced dead at the site of a grisly collision at the corner of Freeborn County Roads 26 and 19. A car from 1986 and a Jeep from 1976 collided at about 12:30 a.m.
The Albert Lea Tribune reported on the fatalies two days later. The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office reported the victims as Rodney James Tuttle, 22, 1437 Frank Ave.; Ruth Ann Waldemar, 42, 615 1/2 Water St.; Patricia Ruth Storvick, 36, 1201 Gene Ave.; and Sharon Ann Tilton, 46, 901 18th St.
There were injured, too: Martie Alan Carlsgaard, 21, 302 E. Fifth St.; Thomas Edward Lawson, 23, 516 Railroad Ave.; and Mona Raye Akemann, 32, 506 Wayside Ave.
The Jeep was westbound on County 19, and the car was southbound on County 26. The sheriff’s preliminary investigation found that Jeep failed to yield the right of way at the stop sign.
Waldemar was the driver of the car, and Carlsgaard was suspected as the driver of the Jeep. In a trial, prosecutors alleged he had been driving without headlights, but he was found not guilty in a trial because though he owned the Jeep, prosecutors couldn’t prove he was behind the wheel.
Don Nolander was the Freeborn County sheriff at the time. Present-day Sheriff Mark Harig recalled working that night in a hard rain.
The newspaper stated it was the worst incident in the county since 1957, when five people were killed in a collision.
Harig’s records indicate the dead in 1957 were Ralph Beard, Ruth Beard, Mabel Larson, Waldo Shultz and Marilyn Torgeson.
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Comments
Posted by hockeymom (anonymous) on August 24, 2009 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I do believe it is o.k. to post a story like this but why use names? that just makes for the families and all the victims to have to re live this horrible accident!!! remember alot of children lost their mothers that day!!!
Posted by menace56 (anonymous) on August 24, 2009 at 10:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is what news is hockeymom.
Posted by monkeymomma (anonymous) on August 24, 2009 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with hockeymom - I remember being in class the first day that Ms. Waldemar's daughter was back in school after this happened. Reading this brought back painful memories for me, so I can only imagine what it does to the families of those who were lost that day. Prayers for all of them.
Posted by geokarjo (anonymous) on August 24, 2009 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The sons of one of the 1988 victims are close friends and I felt their pain as I read this once again. One runs a Madd Mothers victims impact group and he is still angry over it.
Posted by chrish (anonymous) on August 24, 2009 at 12:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't think this is something you would ever quite recover from. Very sad story and I feel badly for the victim's families.
Posted by jtrider (anonymous) on August 24, 2009 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am a family member of one of the victims and it was not what I expected to see today. It was gut wrenching to read this and feels like it just all happened yesterday. My heart goes out to others who've endured any kind of tradegy in their life.
Posted by LRB (anonymous) on August 24, 2009 at 2:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I totally agree with "hockeymom" - there is no reason to list names again. I personally knew some of these ladies and their kids. It has been very hard on these kids without having to bring this all up again, 21 years later!! Put yourself in their place................
Posted by wingo (anonymous) on August 24, 2009 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My heart goes out to all of you, I don't think it is necessary to bring up old news to match the news of now. I think we all know that these accidents happen all too often and don't need the reminders. God bless you all.
Posted by craze (anonymous) on August 24, 2009 at 6:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Motor vehicle collisions are always tragic, I too have lost loved ones in MVCs.
Wasn't their alcohol involved in that 1988 accident? If memory serves me correctly there was.
Also, it has been 21 years. It is too bad that people are still so broken up over this being printed in the paper. They need to learn from the incident and not loose themselves in their grief.
AND as far as that man who runs that counseling group but is still angry, well that is a HUGE no no. It is unethical and unprofessional to run a group when you are still "angry" about the motivating incident in your life. The first and most important rule in running groups and counseling is "never use your clients, group, or group members as a method of coping with your unresolved problems." This is damaging not only to the counselor or group leader but it is PSYCHOLOGICALLY DAMAGING TO THE GROUP MEMBERS.
Posted by hockeymom (anonymous) on August 24, 2009 at 9:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
so the fact remain s, yes there was alchol involed but it still doesn't change the fact that so many chidren lost their mothers that night! it is a sad reminder that alchohol kills, and no matter what this story it should have never printed the victims names, where they lived,how old they were, and the circumstances of the accident! I am very close to one of the families involved and I am sure they would not like to re live all of those feelings!!! the daughter of one of the moms was at my house the night she got the news thazt her mom had been killed in an accident and it was SO devistaing to her!!! she was very close to her mom andit just breaks my heart to see that she may have to re live this because of this articale!!!! who cares about it being a 4 person fatallity since 1988??? I love this family and I'm sure ut is devistating for them to relive this again!!!! oh and not to mention my family is close to one of the victims that survived tis accident and he doesn't care to re live this again either I am sure!!!
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