SIOUX FALLS, SD — Two people were killed and several others, including children, were injured in a two-vehicle crash near Corsica, South Dakota, according to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.
State officials said the collision happened Saturday afternoon and involved a minivan and a pickup truck at an intersection southwest of the town. The crash sent multiple passengers to hospitals and left one adult and one child dead at the scene.
The Department of Public Safety said the victims were thrown from the minivan. Authorities have not yet released their names, pending notification of relatives.
Minivan and pickup collided at an intersection outside town
The crash happened at 2:56 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of 394th Avenue and 269th Street, according to the Department of Public Safety.
Officials said the minivan was headed south on 394th Avenue when the pickup truck, traveling east on 269th Street, struck it. The force of the impact caused both vehicles to come together in the rural area near Corsica.
The crash remains under investigation, and state officials have not said whether speed, right of way, or any other factor contributed to the collision.
Driver and child passenger were not wearing seat belts
The driver of the minivan was identified by state authorities as a 42-year-old man from Corsica. A 7-year-old boy riding with him also died from injuries suffered in the crash.
The Department of Public Safety said both were ejected from the vehicle. Officials also said neither of them was wearing a seat belt.
Authorities have not released additional details about the minivan’s other passengers beyond their ages and injuries. The names of those involved are being withheld while family members are notified.
Four injured passengers were moved from Parkston to Sioux Falls
Four passengers from the minivan were taken first to a medical center in Parkston, according to the state agency. Two of those patients were later transferred to a hospital in Sioux Falls for further treatment.
Officials said three Corsica boys, ages 8, 9 and 10, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Two 9-year-old boys and a 10-year-old boy had minor injuries.
The state release did not say which of the children were later moved to Sioux Falls, but it made clear that more than one hospital cared for the injured after the wreck.
Pickup occupants had minor injuries and went to Mitchell hospital
The pickup truck was driven by a 24-year-old Corsica man, and a 23-year-old Corsica man was riding with him, state officials said.
Both occupants of the pickup were taken to a hospital in Mitchell with minor injuries. The Department of Public Safety did not identify either man by name.
With several children injured and two adults killed, the crash left a large number of people affected from both vehicles. Officials have not announced any citations or charges connected to the collision.
Names remain withheld as authorities continue the investigation
State officials said they are waiting to notify family members before releasing the identities of the people involved. That includes the adult who died, the child who died, and the injured passengers.
The Department of Public Safety has not said what led to the crash or whether any environmental or roadway conditions played a role. For now, the investigation is focused on the sequence of the collision and the injuries that followed.
Rural crashes can send victims to several different hospitals quickly, and this one did exactly that, with patients transported to Parkston, Sioux Falls and Mitchell after the wreck near Corsica.