VIRGINIA — A commercial truck driver delivering explosive material to an Iron Range mine allegedly admitted to turning in front of an oncoming vehicle, killing the other driver.
Samuel Jay Rahn, 28, of Iron, has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide in the
Sept. 28 death of Kevin John Jurek at the entrance to Minntac
in Mountain Iron.
A criminal complaint says Rahn had alcohol in his system at the time, though he was below the legal limit. He reportedly told deputies the crash was his fault, as he erroneously believed Jurek was turning.
According to the complaint:
Rahn called 911 just after 6 a.m. to report he had been involved in a two-vehicle crash on Park Ridge Drive and that the other driver was unresponsive.
Upon arrival, St. Louis County sheriff’s deputies found Jurek, 44, of Keewatin, pinned in the driver’s seat of his pickup truck. First responders provided medical assistance, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rahn, who was outside on the roadway, was described as “very emotional.” He explained that he was coming from Austin Powder Mining in Hibbing with a shipment of explosive ammonium products, including ammonium nitrate.
Rahn said he was eastbound in the center turn lane, with Jurek approaching in the opposite direction. He admitted to turning in front of the oncoming pickup truck, causing a head-on collision, as he thought Jurek was making a right-hand turn into the
U.S. Steel facility.
A deputy noted a “moderate odor of alcoholic beverage,” and Rahn acknowledged consuming three rum and Coke drinks the night before, the last around 10-10:30 p.m.
A preliminary breath test showed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.03, and a blood sample sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension registered 0.028. That is below the 0.04 threshold for commercial drivers under both state law and federal regulations.
Rahn, who was taken to Essentia Health-Virginia with non-life-threatening injuries, was charged by summons last week. He is accused of causing Jurek’s death while “operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner.”
The defendant, who does not have any apparent criminal history, was ordered to make an initial appearance in State District Court on Feb. 16.
Ammonium nitrate is a common fertilizer and component of explosive mixtures used in mining operations. No hazardous material spilled at the crash site, the sheriff’s office previously reported.
It wasn’t immediately clear if any administrative investigations remain ongoing. The incident was not listed on the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s website, and St. Louis County Mine Inspector Derek Harbin did not immediately respond to an inquiry from the News Tribune.
Tom Olsen covers crime and courts and the 8th Congressional District for the Duluth News Tribune since 2013. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth and a lifelong resident of the city. Readers can contact Olsen at 218-723-5333 or [email protected].
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