Marion Township, MN (July 27, 2026) — Two people were injured on Saturday afternoon, July 25, in a collision at Highway 14 and Chester Road SE in Marion Township, Olmsted County, when a 2015 Ford Taurus traveling east on Highway 14 struck an SUV traveling north on Chester Road SE, investigators said.
Donna Lynn Steffenhagen, 73, of Red Wing was driving the SUV. She was taken to Saint Mary’s Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was wearing a seatbelt.
Ella Rae Kirtz, 18, of Eyota was driving the Ford Taurus and was not injured. Her passenger, a 14-year-old girl also of Eyota, was taken to Saint Mary’s Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Both vehicles’ airbags deployed, and everyone was wearing a seatbelt, investigators said. The road was dry at the time of the wreck, and alcohol was not suspected as a factor for either driver. 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 Stop-Sign Highway Crossings Are So Dangerous?
Many rural highways cross smaller roads that are controlled only by a stop sign on the side road, with no traffic signal at all. That setup asks a driver on the minor road to judge, entirely on their own, whether there’s enough time to cross or turn before a much faster vehicle arrives on the highway.
Judging that gap is harder than it sounds. Highway traffic usually moves at 55 miles per hour or more, and a vehicle that looks far away can close that distance in just a few seconds. Curves, crops, hills, or roadside structures can also block a clear view down the highway in either direction.
Drivers approaching one of these crossings are generally encouraged to come to a full stop, not just a rolling one, and to look both ways more than once before proceeding. Waiting for a truly clear gap, even if it means a longer pause, is safer than trying to beat traffic that’s approaching faster than it appears.
