Austin Resident Killed In Clarks Grove Accident

Clarks Grove, already devastated from a tornado touchdown on Monday night, was the scene Thursday morning of an accident that killed an Austin resident and injured two people from New York and Albert Lea.

The State Patrol reports that a 1997 Toyota 4-Runner was traveling south on Interstate 35 in Clarks Grove when the driver, 37-year-old Ileana Babastro of Austin, lost control, traveled down the center median and rolled. The vehicle came to rest in the northbound exit ramp to Minnesota Highway 251. Babastro was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle and died.

According to the State Patrol report, Sashy Martinez, 31 of Rochester, N.Y., was in the rear of the vehicle and had to be extricated. She suffered possible broken bones. Reinaldo Quesada, 41 of Albert Lea, was riding in the front seat and suffered minor injuries. He was wearing a seat belt.

Snow and ice were listed as road conditions at the time of the accident.