Double Fatal Claims Life of Morristown and Goodhue Women

It was a deadly weekend on area roads. The Minnesota Highway Patrol reports about 11:20 last night a pedestrian was struck on County Road 8 in Wheeler Township in Lake of the Woods County. The driver was identified as 36-year-old Jon Bryan Haney of Rochester. The report says Haney told authorities he was going east on County Road 8 just west of Highway 172 when he noticed a pedestrian kneeling in the roadway. He swerved but still collided with the pedestrian, ultimately causing fatal injuries. The identity of the pedestrian is being withheld pending notification of relatives, but the State Patrol says he was a 39-year-old Baudette, Minn., man.

At 9:19 last night, the State Patrol was dispatched to a vehicle/pedestrian accident in Burnsville. The report says road conditions were dry at the time. The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at Hennepin County Medical Center and was identified as 45-year-old Juan Morales-Castro of Burnsville. The driver of the vehicle, 35-year-old Shawn Jacob Noterman of Shakopee did not suffer any injury. The report stated Noterman was going west on Highway 13 when he struck the pedestrian running southbound across the street.

On Saturday at 9:52PM there was single-vehicle fatal accident in Dodge County along Highway 14 east of Dodge Center in Mantorville Township. Stephanie Dawn Sholtz, 42, of Rochester was operating her pickup west on Highway 14 when she lost control on a stretch of icy road and rolled over. No airbag deployed but Sholtz was wearing a seat belt and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A double fatal accident happened Friday afternoon in Goodhue County. The State Patrol says the call came in about 3:01 in the afternoon. A van driven by 76-year-old Maxine Marie Jellum of Morristown was going west on Highway 61 at Highway 316 in Welch Township when it collided with a SUV operated by 73-year-old Betty Lou Ramthun of Goodhue. Both drivers were killed. A passenger in the Ramthun vehicle, 72-year-old Daniel Ramthun of Goodhue, suffered non-life threatening injuries and was wearing his seat belt.

The State Patrol report says Jellum was wearing her seat belt and an airbag did deploy. The report also states Ramthun was wearing a seat belt and an airbag also deployed.