Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the reopening of the highway.
WILLMAR – A Willmar man driving a truck with full of turkeys was killed in a one-vehicle rollover accident early Friday morning east of Willmar.
The accident temporarily closed U.S. Highway 12 near 45th Street Southeast and traffic was diverted to Kandiyohi County Roads 9, 23 and 8.
According to the State Patrol, Gary Kim Vergin, 65, was driving a 2014 International Prostar full of live turkeys on U.S. Highway 12 east of Willmar when he lost control of the vehicle, which then rolled.
Roads were icy at the time of the crash, which was reported at 12:36 a.m.
Vergin was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the State Patrol.
The Willmar Police Department, Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota Department of Transportation and Carris Health Ambulance assisted at the scene.
According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, roads are icy this morning and there have been numerous crashes reported.
Check
www.511mn.org
for more information on current road conditions.
1/5: First responders work to clean up the remnants of a truck full of turkeys that rolled over early Friday morning on U.S. Highway 12 east of Willmar. The one-vehicle rollover killed the driver. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
2/5: A vehicle makes a right turn while a portion of U.S. Highway 12 east in Willmar is blocked off Friday morning due to a fatal one-vehicle rollover of a truck full of turkeys. U.S. Highway 12 reopened east of Willmar at 45th Street shortly after 10 a.m. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
3/5: Crews work to cleanup the scene of a fatal accident Friday morning on U.S. Highway 12 east of Willmar. Gary Kim Vergin, 65, of Willmar, was killed in the crash when his truck, which was full of live turkeys, rolled over. Roads were icy at the time of the 12:30 a.m. accident. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
4/5: Law enforcement block the portion of the U.S. Highway 12 east that was shut down as crews clean up the remnants of a fatal one-vehicle rollover Friday morning east of Willmar. Erica Dischino / West Central Tribune
Carolyn Lange is a features writer at the West Central Tribune. She can be reached at
clange@wctrib.com or
320-894-9750
