Barnes accident injures two

Two men from Minnesota were injured in a two vehicle accident with a man arrested for drunk driving, according to the Bayfield County Sheriff’s Department.

The accident was reported at about 4:35 p.m. Friday and occurred on County Highway N at the intersection with Pease Road.

According to the sheriff’s department, Paul Joseph Meerscharert, 54, of Eagan, Minn. was driving east bound on County Highway N in the town of Barnes when Allen Freitag, 47, of Barnes was traveling westbound and made a left hand turn right into the oncoming Meerscharert vehicle.

Meerscharert was transported to Hayward Memorial Hospital where he was treated for a severe concussion and a laceration to the back of his head. A passenger in Meerscharert’ s vehicle, Robert Balderson, 58, of Eden Prairie, Minn. was also transported, treated for unknown injuries and released from Hayward Memorial.

Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor to the accident, the sheriff’s department stated in a press release issued Tuesday. Freitag was arrested for operating while intoxicated and was taken for a blood test.

Responding to the scene was the Barnes Fire and Ambulance Department, Great Divide Ambulance Service and the Bayfield County Sheriff’s Department.

The accident remains under investigation.

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