FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020

CONTACT: Tony Mangan, Public Information Officer, 605-280-5648

Names Released In Brown County Fatal Crash

WHAT:  Two-vehicle crash

Where:  U.S. Highway 12, mile marker 305

              Five miles west of Groton, S.D.

When:   2:39 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020

Driver No 1: Mark Kreps, 54, Fargo, N.D., Fatal Injuries

Passenger: Steven Connelly, 54, Fargo, N.D., Fatal Injuries

Vehicle: 2018 Ford F150 Pickup

Driver No. 2: Craig West, 60, Aberdeen, S.D., No Injuries

Vehicle: 2018 Mack Granite Dump Truck

GROTON, S.D. – Two Fargo, N.D., men have been identified as those who died Tuesday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash west of Groton.

A 2018 Mack Granite dump truck was westbound in the left lane of U.S. Highway 12. The truck driver had activated the left turn signal and was making a left-hand turn into the median when a westbound 2018 Ford F150 pickup rear-ended the truck.

The pickup driver, Mark Kreps, 54, and its passenger, Steven Connelly, 54, were pronounced dead at the scene. Craig West of Aberdeen, who was the 60-year-old truck driver, was not injured. All three people were wearing seat belts.

The westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 12 were closed for about 90 minutes.

South Dakota’s Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash. All information is only preliminary at this point.

The Highway Patrol is part of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.

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Note: Records of state-reportable crashes are now available at http://www.safesd.gov/. Records should be available about 10 days after the investigation is complete.