Authorities have identified the northeast Iowa woman killed in a two-vehicle weekend crash in southern Minnesota.
The Mower County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) says the wreck occurred shortly before 1:30 pm Saturday (02.28) in Rose Creek, about 10 miles southeast of Austin. A passenger car, driven by a 69-year-old Ignacio Torres Valencia of Waterloo, was traveling south when it collided with a northbound pickup towing a flatbed trailer, resulting in the car catching fire.
MCSO says a passenger in the car, 73-year-old Ana Farias De Torres, also of Waterloo, was trapped and later pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts by emergency responders.
The crash also resulted in serious injuries to Torres Valencia, who was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System – Austin. Another passenger, 26-year-old Giovanni Hilario Torres-Birrueta, also from Waterloo, suffered minor injuries and he was also transported to the hospital.
The pickup driver, 60-year-old Kenneth Haarstad of Austin, sustained minor injuries, but did not require hospitalization.
MCSO says weather and roadway conditions were observed at the scene and are believed to have been contributing factors in the crash.
