Crashes

Mark Smith, 66, died Thursday, May 21, 2026, after hitting a deer near Hill City in southern Itasca County while riding a dirt bike.

The crash occurred Tuesday evening, May 12, 2026, near Manbeck Island, northeast of Cook.

A 48-year-old Baxter man was identified as the victim in the crash. The driver of the vehicle was an 18-year-old from Brainerd.

The Grand Rapids Police Department reported it was dispatched to the serious injury crash April 30, 2026, on the 1600 block of Golf Course Road.

Kimberly Soon Jim Rife, 39, died, and her 13-year-old daughter suffered life-threatening injuries. Rife ran an adult foster care and coordinated a program to help hungry students.

The Roseau County Sheriff's Office reported it conducted a precautionary evacuation to the Patch Motel in Warroad.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported alcohol was suspected to be a factor in the crash.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported the driver was not wearing a seat belt.

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office reports the driver veered off-road through a yard before entering the Mississippi River southeast of Bemidji.

The 29-year-old man hit a tree on a sharp corner. Another snowmobiler died on the trail in February.