Eight transported to local hospitals after St. Croix County bus crash

By Cara L. Dempski

TOWN OF SOMERSET — Eight people were taken to New Richmond and Stillwater, Minnesota, hospitals last Saturday after the tour bus they were riding in was struck by another vehicle.

The accident occurred shortly after 2 p.m. July 15 in the Town of Somerset. According to a press release from the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office, Hannah R. Erickson, age 19 of Somerset, was driving north on State Highway 35 just north of the village of Somerset when she signaled a left turn onto 200th Avenue before coming to a sudden stop on the highway.

Mackenzie M. Marty, age 20 of Somerset, was also northbound on Highway 35, and swerved onto the right shoulder to avoid a collision between her GMC Envoy and Erickson’s Pontiac Vibe. The press release indicates Marty overcorrected coming out of her swerve, causing her vehicle to cross into the southbound lane.

She struck a tour bus owned by Lorenz Bus Service, and driven by 48-year-old David A. Harris of Ramsey, Minnesota. The bus had departed Lindstrom, Minnesota, and was bound for Warwick, New York, with a group of 41 passengers on a tour.

Marty’s vehicle hit the left front side of the tour bus, causing the larger vehicle to slide into the west ditch before it overturned.

Erickson’s vehicle was not damaged and she did not sustain any injuries. Marty was evaluated at the scene by EMS personnel, and was not transported to the hospital. Eight bus passengers injured in the collision were transported to Westfields Hospital in New Richmond and Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, Minnesota, with non-life threatening injuries.

The crash remains under investigation by the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were assisted at the scene by New Richmond Fire and EMS, Somerset Fire and Rescue, Somerset Police, Lakeview EMS and the Wisconsin State Patrol.