Deputies: 2 dead after teen attempts semi-passing in Rosemount

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. (FOX 9) – Deputies say two people were killed in a head-on collision Monday in Rosemount, Minnesota, when a teenage driver tried to pass a semi-truck.

What we know

The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash on County Road 46 near Biscayne Avenue in Rosemount around 3:30 p.m.

Witnesses told officers that a 2012 Ford Fusion driven by a 15-year-old teenager was traveling east behind a tractor-trailer when the teen driver attempted to pass the truck in a no-passing zone.

At the same time, a Lincoln was heading west. Officers say both drivers swerved onto the northbound shoulder to avoid the collision.

The teen driver, identified as David Rojas of Rosemount, and the driver of the Lincoln, 81-year-old Dennis Dahlstrom, were both pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger in the Lincoln, 76-year-old Sandra Dahlstrom, was seriously injured and taken to the hospital.

What else?

The sheriff thanked “several heroic citizens” who stopped and tried to help the victims before first responders arrived.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims involved in this tragic incident,” wrote Dakota County Sheriff Joe Leko.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.