3, including man from Ellendale, killed in crash in Cass County

Published 7:42 am Saturday, November 6, 2021

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An Ellendale man was one of three people killed Thursday night in a crash in Cass County.

Jeffrey Joseph Wertish, 55, of Ellendale, was reportedly driving a 2007 GMC Yukon north on Highway 371 between Hackensack and Backus near 16th Street NW while a 2005 Chevy Uplander, driven by Lenny James Steffen, 34, of Backus was eastbound on 16th Street, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

The State Patrol report stated the Chevy failed to stop at Highway 371 and t-boned the GMC. Both vehicles subsequently left the roadway and entered the eastern ditch.

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Wertish, Steffen and Robert Charles Nelson, 59, of Carver were killed in the crash. Nelson was a passenger in Wertish’s vehicle.

A second passenger, Jared Matthew Wertish, 25, of Ellendale was taken to Essentia Health hospital in Brainerd for injuries deemed not life-threatening.

The report stated both Jeffrey Wertish and Steffen were not wearing their seat belts.

The crash took place at 11:12 p.m.