This collision between a semi-truck and a minivan occurred at the intersection of Highway 12 and County Road 6 in Orono. Earlier in the day, a storm had passed through the intersection, causing the traffic lights to malfunction. As a result, drivers were treating the intersection as a four-way stop.
When the minivan driver took his turn through the intersection, the driver of a semi-truck drove through the intersection at highway speeds, causing a devastating accident that resulted in a permanent brain injury to the driver of the minivan.
The verdict against the semi-truck driver’s company is the largest in Minnesota history involving a commercial vehicle truck and a single victim.
Verdict: $9.8 million