CORSICA, SD — Two people were killed and eight others injured Saturday afternoon in a crash about nine miles east of Corsica, according to the South Dakota Highway Patrol. The collision happened at 2:56 p.m. at the intersection of 269th Street and 394th Avenue.
Authorities said the wreck involved a 2014 Chrysler Town and Country and a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado. The patrol said the vehicles collided near the intersection while traveling on the rural roads.
The crash is still being investigated, and officials have not yet released the names of those involved.
How the collision happened at the rural intersection
Preliminary findings from the Highway Patrol say the Chrysler was traveling south on 394th Avenue near the intersection, while the Chevrolet was heading east on 269th Street. The two vehicles then struck each other.
The intersection is in a rural area east of Corsica, a small community in southeast South Dakota. The patrol has not said which driver may have had the right of way or whether other factors played a role.
Because the investigation is ongoing, officials have not provided a full reconstruction of the sequence of events. For now, the crash has been described only in broad terms based on early information.
Driver and child in Chrysler were killed
The 42-year-old male driver of the Chrysler, who was from Corsica, suffered fatal injuries, along with a 7-year-old boy riding in the vehicle. The Highway Patrol said neither was wearing a seat belt.
Those deaths account for the two people killed in the crash. Authorities have not publicly identified either victim pending notification of family members.
The fatal outcome came from a single vehicle carrying a large group of passengers, including several children. The patrol has not said where the group had been traveling before the collision.
Seven passengers in the van ranged from ages eight to ten
The Chrysler carried seven additional passengers, all male and from Corsica, whose ages ranged from 8 to 10. Three of those boys had minor injuries, while four others were hurt seriously but were expected to survive.
Four of the passengers were taken to a medical center in Parkston, and two of them were later transferred to a hospital in Sioux Falls. The Highway Patrol did not specify which injuries required the additional transport.
The large number of child passengers made the crash especially severe. Officials have not said whether all of the injured children remained hospitalized or when they might be released.
Chevrolet driver and passenger suffered minor injuries
The Chevrolet was driven by a 24-year-old man from Corsica, with a 23-year-old male passenger, also from Corsica. Both sustained minor injuries, according to the Highway Patrol.
Authorities said neither man was wearing a seat belt. The patrol has not said whether either occupant was taken to a hospital or treated at the scene.
The crash involved only the two vehicles, according to the preliminary account. Investigators have not released any indication that alcohol, speed, or road conditions were factors.
Officials have not yet released names while the investigation continues
The Highway Patrol said the names of everyone involved are being withheld until family members are notified. That is standard practice after a fatal crash involving multiple victims.
The investigation remains open, and no further details have been released about potential charges or citations. Officials also have not said whether the intersection has seen previous serious crashes.
For now, the wreck stands as a grim rural traffic fatality that left two dead and eight hurt in a matter of seconds on a South Dakota road.