An Owatonna man and his female passenger from Rochester have died as a result of a fatal crash resulting from a police pursuit Thursday morning at on Bridge Street at the I-35 Southbound ramp. 

According to the Minnesota State Patrol report, 42-year-old Louis Duane Bennett of Owatonna was driving a 2002 BMW 325I southbound on I-35 while being pursued by the Owatonna Police Department.

"Around 11:40 a.m. the Owatonna Police Officers were dispatched to the 100-200 block of 21st Street Northwest in Owatonna regarding a domestic assault involving a man hitting a woman inside of an automobile."

 

The two people, Bennett, and Maani who were inside of the vehicle left the area before police had arrived on the scene.

Bennett exited the interstate at the Bridge Street exit, and then struck a semaphore pole at the top of the ramp. Bennett's passenger, Sauda Abubakar Maani 24-year-old from Rochester, both were pronounced deceased as a result of the crash.

The report indicated that both were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the fatal crash.

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