A 79-year-old semi-truck driver from Lester Prairie, Minnesota, was killed on Thursday afternoon after he was struck by a pickup truck while standing outside his semi cab on Highway 169, according to the Minnesota State Patrol, reported by Ingstad Media.
Source: Ingstad Media — Lester Prairie Man Dies After Being Hit By Pickup (Minnesota State Patrol)
The crash happened shortly before 2:30 p.m. on northbound Highway 169, between West Lind Court and U.S. Highway 14, north of Mankato, Southern Minnesota News reported, citing the State Patrol crash report via KEYC. Ingstad Media placed the crash in Belgrade Township, Nicollet County, and said the man was standing alongside his semi cab when the northbound pickup hit him.
The semi driver's name has not yet been released, both outlets reported, citing the State Patrol. The pickup driver was not injured, according to the reports. Southern Minnesota News said the State Patrol expects to release additional information on Friday.
This report is based only on what the Minnesota State Patrol has released so far. No cause has been stated in the released information, and Awaaz Punjab is not attributing fault to either driver. Standing outside a cab on a live highway shoulder is one of the most exposed moments in a trucker's day — patrol updates will be followed if more is released.