Driver inspecting pickup after hitting deer in Stearns County struck, killed by oncoming truck

CLEARWATER, Minn. (FOX 9) - A driver inspecting the damage to his pickup truck after hitting a deer was struck and killed by another pickup truck in Stearns County Monday morning. 

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy came across a two-vehicle crash on County Road 45 near Clearwater around 6:30 a.m. 

According to the sheriff’s office, the driver of a Ford F150 had stopped on northbound County Road 45 and was outside his truck inspecting front end damage after hitting a deer when a Chevrolet 1500 pickup also traveling north rear-ended his vehicle. The impact pushed the Ford F150 forward and both vehicles continued past the initial crash scene and rolled. 

The driver of the Ford F150, identified as 56-year-old Donald Zwilling of Clearwater, was trapped underneath his truck and died at the scene. The driver of the Chevy 1500, a 37-year-old Kimball man, sustained minor injuries. 

The crash remains under investigation. The sheriff’s office said fog in the area may have contributed to the crash.