PARK RAPIDS — A head-on crash on Highway 71 in Park Rapids killed two adults and seriously injured a 13-year-old girl Sunday, March 29.
The Minnesota State Patrol reported Bradley Hayes, 45, of Park Rapids, was northbound on Highway 71 in a Ford F-150 when he crossed the centerline near Albert Avenue and collided head-on with a southbound Kia Telluride.
The Telluride driver, Kimberly Soon Jim Rife, 39, of Park Rapids, and her passenger, 13-year-old Bailee Mae Rife, were transported to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, North Dakota. The elder Rife was pronounced dead at the hospital, while the younger is receiving treatment for life-threatening injuries.
Hayes was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, a 5-year-old boy, is also being treated in Fargo with non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators reported Hayes was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
The Hubbard County Sheriff's Office, Park Rapids Police Department, Park Rapids Fire Department and North Memorial Health Ambulance also responded to the scene.
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