Pickup driver killed in Rolette County crash

ROLETTE COUNTY, N.D. (KMOT) – One motorist was killed and another seriously hurt in a crash between a semi and pickup truck Thursday evening just north of Rolette.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol said the driver of a semi pulling a grain trailer was headed south on County Road 15 around 6:10 p.m.

Investigators said the pickup driver who was headed eastbound on 89th Street NE failed to yield at the intersection with 15, and the semi struck the pickup, sending both vehicles off the roadway.

The Highway Patrol said the pickup driver, 30-year-old Cody Wolthuis of Fargo, was thrown from the truck and pronounced dead on the scene.

The Highway Patrol also said the semi caught fire after the crash, and the driver, 25-year-old Derrek Martin, was taken to a medical center in Rolla for serious injuries.

Investigators said Wolthuis was not wearing a seat belt at the time, but his front airbags deployed.

Martin was wearing a seat belt but no airbags deployed, according to the Highway Patrol.

The crash, including any potential charges, remains under investigation.