A midnight crash on a rain-slicked stretch of Highway 52 in Olmsted County has claimed the lives of two men from different corners of the country.
The collision happened just before midnight on Wednesday, June 10, near the intersection of County Road 7 Southeast in Orion Township, a rural area southeast of Rochester, Minnesota.
Devon Peri Williams, 40, of Preston, Minnesota, was behind the wheel of a 2013 Ford Explorer, heading northbound on Highway 52. Coming from the opposite direction in a 2015 Jeep Cherokee was Samuel A. Hernandez, 62, of Chicago, Illinois.
The two vehicles met in a violent head-on crash that neither man would survive. The Minnesota State Patrol, which led the investigation, has not released any information explaining what caused the vehicles to cross paths so catastrophically.
Williams was pulled from the wreck and airlifted to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Hernandez did not make it out of the crash site alive and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Both men had their seat belts fastened, and airbags deployed in both vehicles, yet the force of the impact proved unsurvivable.
Wet Roads, Pending Questions
The State Patrol confirmed that road conditions were wet at the time of the crash, a factor that may have played a role in the severity of the collision. Investigators have ruled out alcohol as a contributing factor for Williams.
However, toxicology results for Hernandez have not yet been returned, leaving that question open for now. The cause of the collision itself remains under active investigation, with no official explanation yet provided by authorities.
The response to the scene drew multiple agencies from across the region. The Chatfield Fire Department, Chatfield Ambulance, Mayo Clinic Ambulance, Rochester Fire Department, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and Rochester Towing all assisted the Minnesota State Patrol in managing the aftermath of the crash.
The loss of Devon Williams has been deeply felt among those who knew him in Preston and beyond. Friends took to social media in the days following his death to share their grief, remembering him as a brother figure and someone whose absence would leave a lasting mark on the people around him.
The outpouring of emotion online painted a picture of a man who was deeply connected to his community and loved by many.
The Minnesota State Patrol continues to investigate the crash. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact authorities. No further updates have been issued regarding the cause of the collision at the time of publication.
