FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014

CONTACT: Capt. Kevin Karley, Lt. David Berkley or Lt. Jason Ketterling,

                  SD Highway Patrol 605-394-2286

         Pennington County Fatal Crash

What: Vehicle-Train fatal crash

Where: Cottonwood Drive, one-tenth mile south of intersection Highway 1416, Box Elder, SD

When: Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014, 10:42 a.m.

Driver: Monica G. Westin, 52, Box Elder, SD, fatal

Vehicle: 2003 Oldsmobile Alero

BOX ELDER, S.D. – A Box Elder woman died in a crash with a train on Cottonwood Drive near the intersection with Highway 1416 in Box Elder on Thursday, Sept. 4.

Monica G. Westin, 52, was driving a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero southbound on Cottonwood Drive. At a railroad crossing, she crossed in front of an oncoming train. The train struck Westin’s vehicle in the driver’s side rear door. The train dragged the vehicle for a short distance and then pushed it into a field. Westin, who was wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the vehicle during the crash and died at the scene.

No further information is immediately available.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating. Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Box Elder Police Department and Rapid City Police Department assisted.

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