Blunt woman identified in fatal crash east of Philip

PHILIP, S.D. (Press Release) – A Blunt, S.D., woman has been identified as the victim in a two-vehicle crash that occurred last Friday afternoon east of Philip.

A 2007 Ford Edge, pulling a boat on a trailer, was westbound on U.S. Highway 14 when it slowed down in an attempt to pull into a driveway. A 2005 Chevrolet Silverado, which was also westbound, attempted to pass the first vehicle. The two vehicles collided. The Silverado tripped and rolled, eventually landing on its roof.

There were four passengers in the Silverado. Norma Marroquin-Ruiz, 36, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, her husband, 32-year-old Julio Vasquez-Rodriguez, and two children who were passengers, a 12-yer-old female and a nine-year-old male, all received serious non-life threatening injuries. They were transported to the Philip hospital. All were from Blunt.

Nicole Young of Pierre was the 30-year-old female driver of the Ford Edge. She was not injured.

All of the people involved in the crash were wearing seatbelts. That section of U.S. Highway 14 was closed to traffic for a time.

South Dakota’s Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash.

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