UNDATED – It has been a deadly weekend on South Dakota roadways as the highway patrol has reported three separate crashes that resulted in three fatalities.
The first accident happened late Friday night near Flandreau.
The highway patrol reports One person died and four others were injured Friday night in the two-vehicle crash west of Flandreau.
Names of the six people involved are not yet being released pending notification of family members.
A 2017 Ford F-150 pickup was northbound on 474th Avenue when it failed to stop for a stop sign at the intersection of 474th Avenue and South Dakota Highway 32. The vehicle collided in the intersection with a 2018 Ford F-150 pickup that was eastbound on South Dakota Highway 32.
Five people were in the 2018 Ford F-150 pickup. A 39-year-old female passenger suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The 48-year-old male driver and a 15-year-old female passenger both suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and were transported to a Sioux Falls hospital. A 39-year-old male passenger suffered minor injuries and was not transported. A 10-year-old male passenger was not injured.
The other driver, a 63-year-old male, sustained life-threatening injuries. He was first transported by ambulance to the Flandreau hospital and then airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital. All six people involved were wearing seat belts.
The second crash happened early Saturday morning in Union County.
The patrol says one person died and two others were injured in a two-vehicle crash south of Jefferson.
Names of those involved are not yet being released pending notification of family members.
A 2008 Ford Econoline E350 Ambulance was southbound on Interstate 29 when the driver lost control. The vehicle crossed both lanes, went into the median and then entered the northbound lanes. The ambulance struck the back end of the semi-truck and trailer. The impact caused the semi-truck and trailer to roll onto its passenger side.
The 29-year-old female passenger in the ambulance was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The 22-year-old male ambulance driver, who was wearing a seat belt, suffered minor injuries and was taken to a Sioux City, Iowa hospital. The 62-year-old male driver of the semi-truck also was wearing a seat belt and sustained minor injuries. He was not transported.
Interstate 29 in that area was closed to traffic for about eight hours, opening again at 11:20 a.m. Traffic was rerouted off of Exit Four through Jefferson and back onto the interstate at mile marker nine.
The third crash happened Saturday evening in Minnehaha County.
The patrol reports one person died in a motorcycle-pickup crash west of Hartford.
Names of the three people involved are not yet being released pending notification of family members.
A 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup was stationery in the eastbound lane on South Dakota Highway 38 waiting to make a left-hand turn into a business. An eastbound Harley Davidson FXDWGI motorcycle failed to slow down in time and struck the rear of the pickup.
The 43-year-old male motorcycle driver, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle. He was airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital where he later died as a result of his injuries.
Both occupants of the pickup, the 37-year-old male driver and the 44-year-old female passenger, were not injured. Both were wearing seat belts.
The highway patrol says all three fatal crashes are under investigation.
