Fatal accident update: 11/24/06

Emergency crews responded to a fatal car accident on Tuesday night on Highway 5 near Lone Cedar Lane in Chanhassen.

The accident was reported at 9:08 p.m., Nov. 21, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

An eastbound van, driven by a lone 17-year-old Chaska girl (earlier reported as 16 years old), ran off the roadway, over-corrected and crossed the center line, striking a westbound van, according to a Nov. 23 Minnesota State Patrol press release.

The eastbound vehicle rolled over in the roadway and the driver was ejected. The girl was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center in critical condition, according to the Carver County Sheriff’s Office. Her name has not been released.

The westbound van, which included six occupants, most from Victoria, rolled over in the ditch after impact.

A 79-year-old Iowa passenger in the westbound vehicle, Carol Bell, died at the scene. The driver of the westbound van, Brenda Bell, of Victoria, is listed in critical condition, according to the state patrol. James Bell, 49, of Victoria, a passenger, was treated and released, as were three Victoria children, ages 11, 11 and 7. (Their names were not released.)

The Carver County Sheriff’s Office deputies, the Minnesota State Patrol, Ridgeview Ambulance Service and the Victoria Fire Department responded to the accident, according to the Carver County Sheriff’s Office. The State Patrol is investigating the accident.

Individuals with information related to the incident are asked to contact the Carver County Sheriff’s Office at (952) 361-1212 or the TIP line at (952) 361-1224.