A 20-year-old Minnesota woman died in a three-vehicle accident east of Brookings on Sunday.
The accident happened three miles east of Brookings along Highway 14. The accident was reported at 2:59 pm Sunday.
Madeline Gawreluk, of Zimmerman, MN was driving west in a 1991 GMC Blazer. Her vehicle lost control on the snowpacked and icy highway and slid into the eastbound lane.
Maurice Melchert, 74, of Buffalo, MN was driving east in a 2010 Dodge Ram pickup. Melchert's pickup struck Gawreluk's vehicle when it slid into the eastbound lane. A third vehicle that was headed east then collided with Gawreluk's vehicle. The third vehicle was a Ford F150 driven by Roberta Schley, 40, of Faribault, MN.
Gawreluk was taken to the Brookings hospital and then transferred to a Sioux Falls hospital where she died of injuries she received in the crash.
Melchert and a passenger, Juanita Melchert, 71, of Faribault, were treated at the Brookings hospital for minor injuries.
Schley and a passenger, Kathleen Kolterman, 65, of Faribault, were not injured.
All occupants were wearing seatbelts. No further information is immediately available.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating. Brookings Police Department, Aurora Fire Department, Brookings Ambulance Service and County Sheriff's Office assisted.
