WILLIAMS COUNTY, N.D. — Three individuals died in separate crashes on Saturday, Sept. 9, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
Authorities reported the first incident occurred at approximately 10:55 p.m. north of Williston, where a 1991 Kenworth straight truck swerved to avoid a cow on 69th Street Northwest. The truck rolled after hitting the cow, resulting in the death of 64-year-old Rodney Miller of Williston, who was not wearing a seatbelt.
The second crash took place around 11:40 p.m. on Highway 1804, approximately 23 miles southwest of Williston. A 2018 Harley-Davidson motorcycle with a driver and passenger veered off the roadway into a ditch. The driver, Jesse Lyon, 41, of Culbertson, Montana, succumbed to injuries at CHI St. Alexius in Williston, while passenger Cameo Tanner, 40, of Yreka, California, sustained serious injuries. The investigation into who operated the motorcycle is ongoing.
In a third incident reported at 3:30 p.m., a 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle crashed in Renville County, about 2 miles east of Grano on County Road 26. The driver, 66-year-old William Foondle of Minot, failed to negotiate a curve, resulting in the motorcycle leaving the roadway. Passenger Kellie Tahtinen, 52, of Minot, was pronounced dead at the scene. Foondle was seriously injured and transported to Trinity Hospital in Minot. He faces charges of DUI and operating without a motorcycle endorsement; neither he nor Tahtinen was wearing helmets.
Investigations are ongoing for all incidents.