ROCHESTER, Minn. – A pickup truck, the driver apparently blacked out, crashed into a power pole and went onto Highway 52 where it collided with a flatbed tow truck, which erupted in flames. The pickup driver, by then jarred wake, got out safely. So did a passenger. Police said the pickup had been traveling west on 11th Street Southwest. Apparently the driver suffered a medical issue. His passenger, seeing him unresponsive, shook him. Suddenly awake, the driver reflexively accelerated. The pickup ended up on busy Highway 52 just north of the Apache shopping mall. This was about 3:50 p.m.
Hard to see? You should have been there as smoke obscured everybody both directions on four-lane Route 52. Image: Minnesota Transportation Department