An 88-year-old woman from Belgrade, Minnesota — Janice P. Hazen — died Saturday after a head-on crash in rural Kandiyohi County when the SUV she was riding in collided with a pickup.
The wreck occurred at the intersection of Tri-County Road and 135th Avenue Northeast in Harrison Township, where a southbound pickup and an eastbound SUV crashed violently. Officials from Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office have since released the identities of those involved.
The pickup was driven by 56-year-old Ross William Strom of Aitkin. The SUV was driven by 74-year-old Robert Knutson of Spicer. Both men survived and were hospitalized; their conditions currently remain unknown. The only fatality was Hazen, the elderly SUV passenger.
Family and community members are mourning Hazen’s passing. According to her obituary, she died at St. Cloud Hospital from injuries sustained in the crash.
Details remain sparse — the sheriff’s office says the crash is under investigation. It is not yet clear what caused the collision: whether speed, inattention, or another factor played a role.
Local residents say the intersection is often quiet, rural, and lightly traveled — which makes the tragedy all the more shocking. The fact that Hazen was elderly has amplified the sense of loss across the Belgrade and Kandiyohi County area.
The community now waits for the results of the investigation, seeking clarity and — for Hazen’s surviving family — closure.
