A rural Verdi man lost his life Saturday afternoon, Nov. 14, when his Honda Accord collided at a gravel road intersection with a semi-truck pulling a grain hopper.
Daniel Suda, 36, was pronounced dead when emergency personnel arrived on the scene at the intersection of 181st St. and 90th Ave. in rural Pipestone County, in Grange Township (see obituary page 11A).
The 1996 Peterbilt semi-tractor pulling a 2003 Timpte grain hopper trailer was driven by Mark Hiniker of Pipestone.
Suda’s 1995 Honda Accord, which was traveling south, was totaled in the crash; severe damage was reported to the grain trailer, which was traveling west.
The gravel-road intersection was uncontrolled and the conditions clear and dry at approximately 1:08 in the afternoon when the collision occurred. The speed limit on the roads is unposted, which means 55 mph., said Pipestone County Sheriff Dan Delaney.
The grain hopper was fully loaded when the crash occurred, Delaney said.
“There was quite a bit of weight there; close to 80,000 pounds,” Delaney said. “You compare that to a 2,000 pound car and that’s not a fair match. It’s a tragedy all the way around.”
The accident is still under investigation, Delaney said. His office, in conjunction with the Minnesota State Patrol, is documenting facts and utilizing some computerized mapping that could show in detail how the accident may have occurred based upon the physical evidence left at the scene.
“We’re just collecting evidence right now and putting the facts together in a report,” Delaney said.
