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Car, semi collide in fiery crash near Owatonna

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Miraculously, both drivers were transported to Owatonna Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

STEELE COUNTY, Minn. — The video is jarring, with images that make it nearly impossible to believe that a driver who collided with a semi near Owatonna early Tuesday survived. 

But 55-year-old Kurt Ruzek did survive – somewhat miraculously – leaving him feeling like there’s a reason he’s still here. 

Video captured by Minnesota Department of Transportation cameras shows Ruzek’s Chevy Impala and the semi-trailer truck crashing at the intersection of 44th Avenue and Highway 14 in Havana Township, Steele County. Owatonna Fire and Mayo Ambulance responded to the crash, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

Both Ruzek and the 63-year-old man from Madison Lake driving the semi were transported to Owatonna Hospital with what were described as “non-life-threatening injuries.” 

“I didn’t realize, not until it was too late that I am going to hit him,” recalled Ruzek, who was driving the Impala. 

Ruzek says he was rushing to get to work, likely driving too fast and didn’t see the semi on Highway 14. He doesn’t recall the moment of impact. 

“I don’t remember the fire, but I seen the video from it and the car blew up in flames,” he shared. “So I was wondering why my left arm had soot all the way up from my hand to my shoulder. That was soot from the fire, but I didn’t get burned.”

Ruzek says the impact of the crash jammed all the doors on the vehicle, so he had to climb out the window of the vehicle through broken glass. He recalls two good Samaritans stopping to help before first responders arrived on the scene, one of whom “thought I was gone for sure, but then looked inside and saw me moving.”

“There’s a reason I’m still here. I’ve talked to four people who’ve seen the video and they said ‘How come you’re even walking?’ And I walked away,” Ruzek said, his voice breaking. “I’m grateful I’m still here.”

In a crash report Tuesday morning, state patrol said both drivers were wearing their seat belts and alcohol is not believed to have been involved.

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Ruff Start Rescue helps animals abandoned after hurricanes

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PRINCETON, Minn. — As many families fell on hard times due to hurricanes Helene and Milton, their pets have suffered too. 

Ruff Start Rescue, headquartered in Princeton, Minn., rescued 24 animals from areas in Tennessee and North Carolina that were hit by hurricanes. Azure Davis, the founder and executive director, visited the KARE 11 studio to share more about these animals and how you can help. 

For more information on Ruff Start Rescue and to look at adoptable animals, click here. 



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Grand jury indicts alleged shooter in tobacco store killings

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The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says 26-year-old Maleek Conley was indicted on 13 charges in a shooting that killed two and wounded two others on Dec. 3, 2023.

MINNEAPOLIS — The man accused in a shooting that killed two at a Minneapolis tobacco shop now faces two charges of first-degree murder after being indicted by a Hennepin County grand jury.

Maleek Jabril Conley, 26, was already charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the shooting that occurred on Dec. 3, 2023. An employee of Royal Cigar & Tobacco in Dinkytown told responding Minneapolis police officers that a verbal altercation involving a group of men escalated into a fistfight and then gunfire. 

Two men, identified as Jamartre Sanders and Bryson Haskell, were killed in the shooting. Two others were shot but survived. Conley was later identified as the gunman by surveillance video. 

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Friday that a grand jury indicted Conley on 13 charges related to the tobacco store shooting, including first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of first-degree premeditated attempted murder, four counts of second-degree intentional murder, two counts of attempted second-degree intentional murder, and one count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. 


“This was a brutal crime,” Moriarty said in a released statement. “Mr. Conley fired at the victims at close range, killing two people and wounding two others. I am grateful for the service of the grand jury in moving us closer to appropriate accountability for Mr. Conley’s shocking conduct.”

Conley remains in custody at the Hennepin County jail. 



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Colorado farm recalls onions amid E. coli concerns

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The recall of yellow onions from Taylor Farms comes after an outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders.

COLORADO, USA — A food service supplier has issued a recall for onions from a Colorado Springs Taylor Farms facility due to possible E. coli contamination, according to a letter provided to 9NEWS by the restaurant chain Illegal Pete’s.

The move by US Foods comes after an outbreak of E. coli that has sickened dozens of people and is blamed for the death of one person in Mesa County. According to health officials, it has been linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. The outbreak’s exact source is unknown, but the focus has been on slivered onions and the beef patties specifically used by the chain for those burgers.

McDonald’s has stopped serving the burgers.

The letter sent on Wednesday from US Food urged its customers, including Illegal Pete’s to immediately stop using the affected products.

RELATED: Food safety attorney: Lawsuits coming against McDonald’s following Colorado E. coli outbreak

It indicated that the products included were yellow onions from Taylor Farms that were either whole or diced.  The recalled onions came from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado, a U.S. Foods spokesperson said. 

In a statement, Illegal Pete’s said they’re taking the issue seriously and are following all of the instructions in the letter.

They also noted that they don’t use a diced/ sliced white onion product that has been identified as a possible source of E. coli. The company said Taylor Farms issued a blanket recall from a certain lots.


The Centers for Disease Control said as of Tuesday that 49 people in 10 states have gotten sick, including 26 illnesses and one death in Colorado. Nine people have been sickened in Nebraska.

At least 10 of Colorado’s cases were reported in Mesa County in western Colorado, according to the county health department spokeswoman.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said the 26 people who have gotten sick in Colorado live in nine counties: Arapahoe, Chaffee, El Paso, Gunnison, Larimer, Mesa, Routt, Teller and Weld. They did not necessarily eat at McDonald’s locations in the counties where they live, the health department said. 

RELATED: McDonald’s tries to reassure customers after deadly E. coli outbreak

The CDC said 10 people across the affected states have been hospitalized. The outbreak also includes a child hospitalized with severe kidney complications. 

Everyone interviewed said they ate at McDonald’s before getting sick and specifically mentioned eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger, according to the CDC. The agency said infections were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11. 




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