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Brainerd man dies after vehicle leaves Hwy 18, strikes tree

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The Minnesota State Patrol reported William James Gardner was traveling westbound at 6:50 p.m. Nov. 7, 2025, in a 2004 Honda Civic, when the crash occurred.

BRAINERD — A 56-year-old Brainerd man died Friday, Nov. 7, after leaving the roadway on Highway 18 and striking a tree.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported William James Gardner was traveling westbound at 6:50 p.m. in a 2004 Honda Civic. The vehicle went off the road east of the intersection with Crow Wing County Road 144.

Gardner was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, the state patrol reported. He was dead at the scene.

The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Brainerd Fire Department and North Memorial Health ambulance assisted.

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