HIBBING, St. Louis County, Minn., Oct. 8, 2026 — Two men were hurt Tuesday afternoon, October 6, when a semi truck and a pickup collided on Highway 169 near Hibbing, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
The crash happened around 2:49 p.m. near milepost 336 on northbound Highway 169. A semi was traveling north when it came into contact with a Chevy Silverado that was crossing the highway. Both vehicles came to rest at the scene.
The driver of the Silverado, identified as Gregg Alan Benz, 63, of Hibbing, suffered injuries described as non-life-threatening. The semi's driver, Edward James Talarico, 55, also of Hibbing, was reported hurt but not in life-threatening condition. Road conditions were listed as dry at the time.
Hibbing Fire and the Keewatin Police Department responded to assist at the scene. The state patrol said its information on the crash is believed to be complete, though the report did not specify a cause.
We hope everyone who was hurt makes a full and speedy recovery.
Where Highway Crossing Crashes Concentrate
Crashes in which one vehicle crosses the path of another tend to cluster on undivided highways, where intersections or access points allow traffic to cut across opposing lanes without a signal. Rural stretches of two-lane highways, like many sections of Minnesota's trunk highways, often carry this risk because crossing movements happen at speed and with little warning.
These locations are often hard to engineer around. A rural highway may carry heavy truck traffic alongside local vehicles turning onto side roads or crossing to reach driveways and side streets, and sightlines can be limited by curves, hills, or weather. When a crossing vehicle misjudges the gap in oncoming traffic, there is often insufficient time for either driver to react.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 6,138,359 police-reported traffic crashes occurred in 2023. Many of these happen at the kinds of unsignalled crossings and rural intersections that dot two-lane highway corridors across the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What steps should drivers take to lower their crash risk?
Slowing down at intersections and crossing points, scanning for cross traffic even without a signal, and allowing extra following distance around trucks can all help drivers react in time.
What injuries are most common in car accidents like this one?
Collisions involving a crossing vehicle and a larger truck often cause blunt injuries from the impact and from being thrown against the interior of the vehicle, ranging from bruising and fractures to more serious trauma, depending on speed and impact angle.
What typically causes crashes where one vehicle crosses another's path?
Common factors include misjudging the speed or distance of oncoming traffic, limited visibility, and delayed reaction time, though the specific cause of any individual crash is determined by investigators.
How does speed affect the severity of this type of crash?
Higher speeds reduce the time a driver has to react and increase the force of impact, which is why crashes on higher-speed highways tend to produce more serious injuries than similar crashes on slower roads.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Hibbing, MN
If you're involved in a crash on a highway near Hibbing, move to a safe location if possible and call 911 right away. Even if injuries seem minor, it's worth getting checked by a medical professional, since some injuries from a vehicle collision don't show symptoms immediately.
Stay at the scene until law enforcement arrives and gathers information, and exchange contact and insurance details with the other driver if you're able to safely do so. Taking photos of the vehicles and the surrounding road can help later if questions arise about how the crash happened. Keep a copy of the official crash report for your records once it becomes available.
