MEDINA, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Terrible visibility due to wind and snow attributed to a multi-vehicle crash along I-94 near Medina Monday, March 4th.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol reports that a Toyota Corolla driven by Odillio Barrientos Villeda from Portland, Oregon was westbound on I-94 at a slow speed due to near zero visibility from blowing snow. A 2016 Freightliner driven by Benjamin Grant from Milwaukee, Wisconsin slowed to follow the Toyota.
Another westbound 2014 Freightliner driven by Donald Powel of Mandan approached from the rear at a higher rate of speed and veered left, attempting to avoid a crash but not before side-swiping the rear of Grant’s Semi-trailer. Powell’s Freighliner veered back onto the right lane and struck the Toyota. Traffic was restricted for nearly an hour while vehicles and trailers were towed from the scene.

About one mile east of the accident, two snow plows and two patrol vehicles used flashing lights to slow westbound traffic as it entered the crash scene. A 2016 Ford Fusion driven by Brad Thingvold from Bismarck slowed to stop prior to the scene. Thingvold was struck from behind by a 2018 Fusion driven by Thomas Haas from Fargo.
Stutsman County Sheriff Chad Kaiser stood outside of his 2019 Chevy Silverado patrol vehicle to direct traffic when a 2016 Chevy Malibu driven by Traci Kelm of Sioux Falls, SD sideswiped the patrol vehicle before rear ending a 1996 Peterbilt drive by Bradley Kupser from Zimmerman, MN.
During this chain of events, Kelm’s Malibu brushed Sheriff Kaiser’s leg as he ran to the median. He was not injured. Three of the motorists were transported by Medina Ambulance to the Jamestown Regional Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.
The crashes all remain under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol.