Several accidents reported over the Fourth of July

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent 

Sheriff deputies, on July 3, reported two injuries following a boating accident at Rush Lake, north of Ottertail and south of Perham.

When deputies arrived at 8:03 a.m. near the public access to the lake, they located a man with a compound fractured ankle and a woman with possible broken ribs. Both people were transported to the hospital in Perham with non-life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the boating accident was a broken steering column on the watercraft. This caused the boat to make an abrupt change in direction, ejecting one of the occupants.

Weekend accidents

Otter Tail County roadway accidents with injuries included the following over the Fourth of July weekend:

• July 1, one injury when a semi overturned on Interstate 94

• One injury near Leaf River Road, north of Henning, after the driver of a Polaris Ranger (utility vehicle) was pulled into the ditch on July 2

• One person was injured in a car-deer accident July 2 near Highway 26 in southwestern Otter Tail County.

• Injuries to three people were reported north of Battle Lake, near Otter Tail Lake, after two trucks collided in a head-on crash. This took place on July 3, with the injuries not believed to be life-threatening.