Prior Lake man seriously injured in Highway 14 crash

A Prior Lake man was seriously injured in a crash on Highway 14 between Courtland and Nicollet Thursday.

Joseph Joshua Blanchette, 47, was transported to Mayo Clinic Mankato with life-threatening injuries following the crash, which happened shortly before noon.

According to the state patrol’s crash report, Blanchette was traveling east in a Ram Promaster van, and a Dodge Ram pickup was traveling westbound when the two vehicles struck, head-on.

The driver of the pickup was Hunter David Jongeward, 21, of St. Cloud.  He was transported to Mayo Clinic Mankato with non-life threatening injuries.

The state patrol says road conditions were snowy and icy at the time of the crash.