Sheriff: Car Slams Into Tree, Killing Driver In St. Louis County

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 23-year-old man died Sunday after the car he was driving slammed into a tree in northern Minnesota, and authorities say alcohol and speed were factors in the crash.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office responded to the crash at about 10:59 a.m. on the 10300 block of Buboltz Road in Cook, which is north of Virginia. When authorities arrived, they located a single vehicle that had left the road and hit head-on into a tree.

The driver of the vehicle was the lone occupant, and was trapped inside the vehicle with severe injuries. Medical personnel arrived, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities say it appears the man was heading west of Buboltz Road when he failed to negotiate a sharp left turn on a dirt road, went into a ditch on the north side of the road and hit a tree head-on.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office is investigating what led up to the crash, but authorities say alcohol and speed were significant factors. The driver has not been identified.