St. Michael, Minnesota - A devastating accident claimed the lives of two women and left three others injured when their car collided with a tire that had fallen off a semi-truck. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, marking one of three fatal or serious accidents reported on Minnesota roads.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the driver of the car was identified as Viengkhone Nguyen, 44, from Brooklyn Park, with Lea Khamphachanh, 43, from St. Cloud as her passenger. The two women were traveling eastbound on Interstate 94 near Highway 241 in a 2023 Nissan Rogue when a westbound semi-truck lost two tires.

Tragically, the Nissan driven by Nguyen struck one of the fallen tires, resulting in the immediate fatalities of both women. The collision left the three other passengers, Tiana Deppa, 28, from Rice, Pane Eisenschenk, 45, from St. Cloud, and Phetsamai Khamphachanh, 38, from Sartell, injured. They were promptly transported to a nearby hospital, fortunately with non-life threatening injuries.

The State Patrol reported that the accident occurred shortly before 5 p.m. on Saturday and confirmed that alcohol was not a factor in this tragic incident. The driver of the semi-truck, Khadar Hawadle, 37, from Savage, emerged unharmed from the collision.

In another accident, taking place in northeastern Minnesota, four individuals sustained injuries following a collision around 8 p.m. on Highway 169 in Wuori Township. Reports from the Minnesota State Patrol indicate that a vehicle obstructed all northbound lanes of Highway 169 causing a traffic buildup. A Chevrolet Impala, driven by David Medicine, 38, from Virginia, struck a stationary Dodge Ram 1500 from behind. Alcohol was determined to be a factor in this incident. Both Medicine and his passenger Angela Buckanaga, 45, from Tower suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Additionally, Lenz Edward, 14, also from Tower, was present in the vehicle but remained unharmed. The other passenger's identity, a 61-year-old woman from Tower, has not been released pending further investigation.

Lastly, central Minnesota witnessed an accident on Saturday night in Todd County, inflicting life-threatening injuries on Renae Patterson, a 48-year-old woman from Browerville. The Minnesota State Patrol stated that Patterson's vehicle veered off northbound Highway 71 at milepost 196 in Eagle Valley Township around 7:30 p.m.

Authorities are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding all three accidents, and further information is expected to be released in due course.

As these tragic incidents serve as yet another reminder of the importance of road safety, it is crucial for motorists to remain vigilant at all times and exercise caution while driving.