RAPID CITY, S.D. – A Box Elder, S.D., woman has been identified as the person who died Tuesday after a two-vehicle crash west of Rapid City.
Preliminary crash information indicates that a 2010 Buick LaCrosse was eastbound on U.S. Highway 16 when the vehicle veered to the right and struck a guardrail. The Buick then crossed both eastbound lanes, went through the median, and into the westbound lanes where it collided head-on with a westbound 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport.
Kathryn Stverak, the 78-year-old driver of the Buick, suffered life-threatening injuries. She later died at a Rapid City hospital. She was not wearing a seatbelt.
Barry Porter, 66, the driver of the Hyundai, and Marina Porter, 65, the passenger, both had to be extricated from the vehicle. The two occupants, who are from Rapid City, suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and were transported to a Rapid City hospital. Both were wearing seatbelts.
U.S. Highway 16 was shut down for 48 minutes and then limited to one lane opened for 12 additional minutes before the scene was completely reopened to traffic.
South Dakota’s Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
