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Storm blamed for fatal Minnesota crash in Sherburne County

Plows try to keep roads clear in Moorhead
Plows try to keep roads clear in Moorhead as strong winds whip snow into drifts Thursday. Post-holiday travelers were finding driving difficult as a winter storm dumped heavy snow and whipped up gusty winds across parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota on Thursday.
Dan Gunderson | MPR News

Updated: 3:15 p.m. | Posted: 6:01 a.m.

A powerful winter storm that has left roads snow covered and slippery in parts of the Upper Midwest is blamed for a Minnesota crash that killed one person and injured nine others.

Sherburne County sheriff's officials say a small bus collided with an SUV at about 3 p.m. Thursday. Forty-seven-year-old Marilyn Balogi, of Zimmerman, was killed. She was a passenger on the bus operated by Tri-County Action Program.

According to Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott, the head-on collision happened on County Road 15 east of Big Lake.

The 61-year-old bus driver and seven other passengers were injured and taken to area hospitals.

The passengers were all adults from Zimmerman or Princeton ranging in age from 22 to 47.

The driver of the SUV, a 17-year-old from Elk River, was also taken to the hospital.

The Minnesota State Patrol says it responded to 167 crashes, 259 spinouts and 13 jackknifed semis on Thursday. A blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect for much of the Dakotas and part of Minnesota through Friday morning.

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