BRITT— The parties involved in a two-vehicle crash in Britt Thursday that claimed the lives of two men have been identified.
According to a news release from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department Friday, the drivers were Frank Bertram Ratliff, 76, of Angora, and Steven Craig Shoden, 69, of Virginia.
At 8:51 a.m. on October 24, the St. Louis County Dispatch Center received a report of a two-vehicle crash in the 9100 block of Biss Road in Unorganized Township 60R18, in the Britt area.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, a witness reported that the driver of the first vehicle, Ratliff, was traveling eastbound on Biss Rd. while driver two, Shoden, was traveling westbound, both in pickup trucks, according to the news release. The driver of the first vehicle appeared to have drifted off to the southbound shoulder, overcorrected, and continued across the centerline, striking the second driver’s vehicle, it states.
Both drivers were pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Minnesota State Patrol has been requested to reconstruct the scene and is assisting the Sheriff’s Office with the investigation.
Additional assisting agencies Include Pike Fire Department and First Responders, Gilbert Fire Department, Virginia Ambulance, and Life Link Air Medical.
