Woman, 35, killed in collision with deer in southern Minnesota

A driver was killed in a collision with a deer near Zumbrota in Goodhue County this weekend.

It happened Friday night along Highway 60 in Minneola Township. According to a Minnesota State Patrol incident report, a 2001 Dodge Neon was traveling westbound when it struck the deer around 9:30 p.m.

The driver, 35-year-old Samantha Diane Johnson of Kenyon, was pronounced dead at St. Mary's Rochester. The vehicle's passenger, a 38-year-old man, was not injured in the crash.

Both were wearing seatbelts, and alcohol was not a factor in the crash, the State Patrol noted.

Minnesota sees over a thousand deer-related crashes every year, and averages about 3 deaths annually, according to data from the DNR .

The DNR notes that deer crashes are especially dangerous for motorcyclists, who accounted for 15 of the 18 vehicle-deer related deaths from 2016 to 2020.

The agency advises driving at safe speeds, wearing seatbelts and being "especially cautious" from 6-9 p.m., when deer are most active. You can see the full list of safety tips right here.

Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcement’s latest version of events, and may be subject to change.