STANLEY TWP, Lyon County, Minn., Oct. 5, 2026 — A man and woman suffered injuries described as non-life threatening Sunday afternoon, October 4, when the three-wheeled motorcycle they were riding left Highway 19 near 330th Avenue in Stanley Township, Minnesota, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
The 2009 Honda Trike was headed westbound on Highway 19 when it ran off the road and into a ditch, the state patrol reported.
The driver, identified by authorities as 76-year-old Gary Lee Johnson of Marshall, Minnesota, and a passenger, 75-year-old Kathy Doreen Johnson, also of Marshall, were both taken to Marshall Regional Medical Center for treatment, the state patrol said. Their injuries were listed as non-life threatening.
Milroy Fire, the Lyon County Sheriff's Office and Marshall Ambulance responded to the scene.
We hope those who were hurt recover fully.
Why Single-Vehicle Road Departures Can Still Cause Serious Harm
A crash doesn't need a second vehicle to turn dangerous. When a vehicle leaves the road, the energy that has to go somewhere gets absorbed by the ditch, a culvert, a tree line, or simply the ground itself as the vehicle rolls or slides. Speed at the moment of departure matters more than almost any other factor: the faster a vehicle is moving when it leaves the pavement, the farther it travels before stopping and the harder that stop tends to be.
Three-wheeled motorcycles and similar open vehicles add another layer to this. Unlike a car, there's no steel cage, airbag system, or crumple zone standing between the rider and the terrain. Seat belts help keep occupants positioned in the seat, but they can't substitute for the structure that a passenger car provides in a comparable off-road event.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, passenger vehicles made up 92 percent of registered vehicles and 89 percent of vehicle miles traveled in 2023. That gap between vehicle types, and the very different protection each offers, is part of why identical road conditions can produce very different outcomes depending on what a person is driving or riding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I witness a vehicle run off the road?
Call 911 right away, note the location as precisely as you can (nearby mile markers, intersections, or landmarks), and only approach the scene if it's safe to do so.
What injuries commonly result from a road-departure crash?
Common injuries include broken bones, head and neck trauma, and internal injuries, with severity depending heavily on speed, the vehicle type involved, and what the vehicle strikes after leaving the roadway.
What typically causes a vehicle to leave the road?
Common factors include speed too high for conditions, driver distraction, fatigue, loss of control on a curve, or an obstacle in the roadway, though the specific cause in any one crash is determined by investigators.
Does speed really change how serious a crash is?
Yes. Higher speed increases both the chance a driver loses control and the force involved if the vehicle strikes something after leaving the road, which is why speed is one of the first things investigators look at.
What to Do After a Single-Vehicle Crash in Stanley Twp, Minnesota
If you're involved in a crash like this, get to a safe spot if you're able and call 911 immediately. Even if injuries seem minor at first, have a medical provider check you out. Adrenaline can mask pain from broken bones or internal injuries for hours.
Cooperate with responding officers and get a copy of the incident report once it's available. If you're a passenger or rider, write down what you remember about the conditions and the sequence of events while it's fresh, since those details can matter later for insurance or medical follow-up. Reach out to family or a support network, and give yourself time to recover both physically and emotionally.
