WINONA, Minn. – A Rochester driver was critically injured when he barreled into the Highway 61 intersection from Pelzer Street and hit two other vehicles. The other drivers also were hospitalized. Flying debris hit four other cars. Some lanes of the intersection, one of the busiest in Winona, were closed nearly three hours. The collision was about 6:45 p.m. The Far West End intersection is where northbound traffic on Highway 61 for the Twin Cities splits from westbound traffic on Highway 14 for Saint Mary’s University and Rochester. The injured:
> Javon Nicholas Kunkel, 23, of Rochester, driving a 2012 Hyundai Elantra, to the Gundersen hospital in LaCrosse with serious injuries
> Trang Thu Thi Le, 50, of Rochester, driving a 2015 Lexus Rx, to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester with non-life threatening injuries.
> Karla Winter, 50, of Winona, driving a 2014 Jeep Cherokee, to the Winona hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
What happened
Police said the Kunkel vehicle crossed into the Highway 61 and Pelzer Street intersection, which is four lanes each direction plus turn lanes. The intersection is signal-controlled. His direction was toward Rochester. The Trang and Winter vehicles were coming head-on from the Rochester direction.
Road conditions
Pavement was dry. The sun had set.
Alcohol involved?
Yes, Kunkel had been drinking, the State Patrol said.