KINDRED, ND — Three people were hurt, including one woman who suffered serious injuries, in a head-on collision near Kindred that investigators say involved an impaired driver. The North Dakota Highway Patrol said the crash happened just after 3:20 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, on Highway 46 in Cass County.
According to state troopers, the collision began when a Dodge Ram pickup traveling east tried to pass another vehicle over railroad tracks in a no-passing zone. The pickup then struck a westbound Subaru Outback head-on. The crash remains under investigation.
Driver flown to Fargo after serious injuries
The driver of the Subaru was a 28-year-old woman from Fargo. The Highway Patrol said she was seriously injured in the collision and was flown by Sanford Health AirMed to Sanford hospital in Fargo for treatment.
The pickup driver, a 22-year-old man, and his passenger, a 19-year-old woman, both of Wahpeton, were also taken by ambulance to Sanford in Fargo. Officials did not describe the extent of their injuries, but said all three occupants of the pickup and Subaru were injured in the crash.
State patrol says the pickup driver faces multiple charges
The North Dakota Highway Patrol said the pickup driver faces several charges tied to the crash. Those include DUI-drugs, criminal vehicular injury, reckless endangerment-extreme indifference, providing false information to law enforcement, possession of fentanyl and driving under suspension.
The patrol identified DUI-drugs as a Class B misdemeanor and said the other listed offenses are felonies. The agency has not said whether formal charges have already been filed in court, but it identified the offenses investigators believe apply based on the crash scene and follow-up investigation.
Investigators say the crash happened on Highway 46 near railroad tracks
Troopers said the crash occurred at mile marker 112 on Highway 46, near the community of Kindred in Cass County. The roadway location matters because investigators say the pickup passed in a no-passing zone while crossing railroad tracks, a maneuver that ended with the eastbound truck in the path of the westbound Subaru.
Highway 46 is a rural roadway where visibility and lane discipline can be critical, especially near track crossings and marked passing restrictions. State patrol officials have not released a more detailed reconstruction of the impact, and they have not said whether weather or road conditions played any role.
Wahpeton passengers were taken to Sanford in Fargo
The pickup driver’s passenger, a 19-year-old woman from Wahpeton, was among those transported by ambulance to Sanford in Fargo. The patrol said the pickup driver also went to the same hospital after the collision.
Officials said the passenger may also face possible charges, though that remains under investigation. The agency did not explain what role, if any, she may have had in the events leading up to the crash, and troopers have not said whether investigators are considering additional witnesses or evidence.
Crash adds to concerns around impaired and reckless driving
Although the Highway Patrol has not said what led to the suspected impairment, the case includes allegations that often come with serious traffic investigations: drug-related DUI, reckless endangerment and false information to law enforcement. Those accusations point to a crash that troopers believe went beyond a simple traffic mistake.
For now, the case remains active, with the patrol continuing to review what happened before and during the collision. The outcome will depend on the findings of that investigation and any charging decisions that follow, but officials have already said the injuries and the alleged driving behavior made the crash a serious one.