A North Dakota man and a Texas woman were taken to St. Aloisius Medical Center in Harvey, N.D. with non-life threatening injuries following a semi/van collision Thursday afternoon on U.S. Highway 52 at Fessenden, N.D., the North Dakota Highway Patrol said in a news release.
A 2008 Chrysler Van, driven by Christina Swanstrom, 29, of Santa Fe, Texas, had slowed to turn left into Fessenden just after 1 p.m. when it was struck on the driver's fender by a 1998 Kenworth semi-trailer driven by Nathan Ruud, 20, of West Fargo, N.D. The patrol said Ruud didn't immediately notice the van slow, applied his breaks and turned left to try to avoid Swanstrom.
The semi, carrying a load of sunflowers, went into the ditch and rolled onto its passenger side. The van rotated and stayed on the highway.
The patrol said both Ruud and Swanstrom were wearing seat belts. Ruud was cited with care required in the operation of a motor vehicle.
The incident prompted the patrol to temporarily close a 15-mile stretch of the highway.
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The Wells County Sheriff's Department along with Harvey and Fessenden Ambulance also responded to the accident.
