1 injured in I-35 crash north of Albert Lea

Published 6:37 pm Wednesday, March 19, 2025

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One person was injured Wednesday morning after a semi and straight truck collided on Interstate 35 south of Clarks Grove. 

Bakar Oniani, 34, of Brooklyn, New York, was taken by Mayo Clinic Ambulance to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea for injuries deemed not life-threatening, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. 

The report stated Oniani was driving a 2024 Volvo semi southbound on I-35, and Jared Allen Besser, 44, of Clarks Grove, was driving a 2016 Freightliner straight truck southbound when the two trucks collided at 10:21 a.m. near milepost 16. 

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The roads were covered in snow and ice at the time of the crash. 

Both drivers were wearing their seat belts, and alcohol was not a factor. 

The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and Clarks Grove Fire Department assisted at the scene.