St. Louis County Plow, Pickup Collide Head-On on Fish Lake Road

A 28-year-old Fredenberg Township man was airlifted with life-threatening injuries Friday after his pickup truck struck a St. Louis County snowplow head-on on the 4900 block of Fish Lake Road, just north of Duluth, at approximately 7:50 a.m.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to the collision, which a caller reported as head-on, around 7:50 a.m. on April 3 on the 4900 block of Fish Lake Road. The plow truck was operated by a single county employee with no other occupants. The pickup was driven by the Fredenberg Township man, and a dog was also in the vehicle at the time of the crash. A reporter at the scene confirmed the white pickup truck was totaled in the impact.

The 28-year-old Fredenberg Township man was transported by LifeLink helicopter to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The Sheriff's Office did not report any injuries to the plow operator. The dog did not have any apparent major injuries and was returned to a family member.

Sheriff Gordon Ramsay's office flagged alcohol as a central concern from the outset. "Upon initial investigation, alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor of the pickup driver," the Sheriff's Office stated. The crash occurred before 8 a.m., underscoring that impaired driving is not exclusively a nighttime risk on rural county roads.

The crash remains under joint investigation by the Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota State Patrol. Identities of both drivers have not been released pending the ongoing inquiry. The State Patrol is assisting with crash reconstruction on the two-lane corridor.

Fish Lake Road near the crash site was closed and expected to remain shut for several more hours while authorities continued clearing the scene and investigating. Motorists traveling between Duluth and points north through Fredenberg Township should confirm road status before using Fish Lake Road. Anyone with direct knowledge of the crash can contact the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office; final citation and investigation records will be available through the Sheriff's Office or the Minnesota State Patrol once reconstruction is complete. April road conditions in the Duluth corridor can still include morning frost and reduced visibility on unlined rural roads, and drivers should account for large county vehicles operating on narrow right-of-ways during the tail end of plowing season.