Three killed, including wildlife lover and life partner, in North Branch crash

A crash between an SUV and a motorcycle in eastern Minnesota earlier this month left three people dead, officials said.

According to the North Branch Police Department, the crash occurred just before 7 p.m. on June 6 at Lincoln Trail and Hillshire Avenue.

Police said Pamela Dunn, 74, of Shell Lake, Wisconsin, and Shelby Walker and Samantha Troff, both 33 from Harris, Minnesota, were killed in the crash.

The Wildlife Science Center in Stacey, Minnesota, identified Troff as a former employee, saying "in Sam's short life, she spread her passion for wild places and wild things like a fire and WSC is forever grateful to have been one of her stopping places on her journey." The center said Troff and Walker, "her soul mate and life partner," were on the motorcycle involved in the crash.

An online obituary said Walker and Troff "shared a life full of adventures, travel, learning, wildlife exploration, and beloved pets." Walker worked as a machinist at Regal Machine in Wyoming, Minnesota.

Dunn, a business owner and grandmother, "will be remembered for her unwavering love, kindness, and selflessness," her obituary said.

North Branch is about 45 miles northeast of Minneapolis.