1 seriously hurt, 2 others injured in head-on Aitkin County crash

Three people are recovering from injuries following a head-on crash in Aitkin County.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the crash happened shortly after 12:15 p.m. Monday on Highway 18 at 430th Avenue in Hazelton Township.

The agency’s incident report says a westbound Toyota Corolla, driven by 36-year-old Nicole Austin of McGrath, Minn., crossed over the center line and hit a Chevy Equinox.

The 72-year-old man and 68-year-old woman who were in the Equinox, both of Wyoming, Minn., were taken to Riverwood Healthcare Center Hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.

Meanwhile, Austin was taken to Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth for life-threatening injuries. Her condition wasn’t immediately provided.

Authorities add while Austin wasn’t wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash, the other two were.

Alcohol isn’t suspected to be a factor, and road conditions were described as dry at the time of the crash.