Hutchinson, MN (July 27, 2026) — Four people were injured Saturday afternoon, July 25, in a collision on westbound Highway 7 at Bluff Street in Hutchinson, McLeod County, when a 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 and a 2017 Ford Edge, both traveling westbound, came together, investigators said.
Larry Steven Wallner, 66, of Lonsdale was driving the Ford Edge. His three passengers were Donna Marie Bodenhamer, 61, and John Martin Bodenhamer, 61, both of Lonsdale, and Delora Ann Vit Wallner, 61, of Waconia.
All four occupants of the Ford Edge were taken to Hutchinson Health with non-life-threatening injuries. The vehicle’s airbags deployed, and everyone inside was wearing a seatbelt.
William Lee Kistler, 42, of Cokato was driving the Dodge Ram and was not injured. He was also wearing a seatbelt, and the truck’s airbags did not deploy.
The road was dry at the time of the wreck, and alcohol was not suspected as a factor for either driver, investigators said. Emergency units were sent to help those involved.
The exact cause of the accident remained under review as this report was filed. We’re glad to hear the injuries were not life-threatening, and we wish everyone a full recovery.
Why Rear-Seat Passengers Face Different Risks in a Crash?
Rear seat passengers face a different set of risks than a driver up front, even when everyone is buckled in. Airbags in the front seats are designed around the driver and front passenger position, so someone sitting in the back doesn’t always get the same direct cushioning during a hard hit.
Seatbelt design matters here too. Rear seatbelts are just as important as front ones, but studies have shown rear occupants are sometimes less likely to buckle up, possibly because there’s no dashboard warning chime in the back seat like there is up front in most vehicles. Unbuckled rear passengers can also be thrown forward with enough force to injure the people sitting in front of them.
Vehicle size and where someone sits inside it can also affect how much force reaches each person during a hard hit. A vehicle carrying several passengers spreads out differently than one with a single occupant, and seating position relative to the point of the hit plays a real role in how injuries turn out for each person inside.
