Willmar man hurt in crash in Highway 12 Downtown Bypass

A Willmar man was injured in a crash near downtown Willmar Saturday night.

According to KWLM, it happened in the 400 Block of the Highway 12 Bypass around 8:34 p.m. Saturday. An SUV driven by 27-year-old Jakob Larson was eastbound, lost control and struck a tree on the south side of the roadway. Larson was trapped in the vehicle, was extricated by the Kandiyohi County Rescue Squad, and was taken to Centra Care Hospital with serious injuries.

Police say they believe speeding and alcohol use contributed to the crash. The highway was closed and traffic was diverted while rescue operations were underway. The crash remains under investigation.

Assisting the Willmar Police Department were the Kandiyohi County Rescue Squad, Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, Willmar Fire Department and CentraCare EMS.