Truck driver tells trooper he was distracted by map before Washington County fatal crash

A truck driver reported a trooper he was looking at a map and a GPS unit when ran a stop sign and crashed into another van in Washington County after which the other driver died according to a search warrant affidavit Shane Joseph Loughney was taken to Regions Hospital with life-threatening injuries following the collision last Wednesday and died at the hospital on Saturday State Patrol troopers responded about p m to Denmark Township Analysis exhibited a -year-old man was driving a semitrailer northbound on Minnesota at highway speeds the affidavit explained Loughney was eastbound on th Street stopped at a stop sign and began turning left onto Minnesota The semi T-boned his pickup in the intersection The collision pushed both vehicles into another pickup The semi s driver described a State Patrol sergeant he was at fault for the crash the affidavit noted He reported he d been looking at a combination of maps on his phone and a separate GPS unit which distracted him from seeing the stop signs The warrant approved by a judge and filed in court Monday was for a forensic search of the driver s phone The Washington County Attorney s Office had not received a situation to review for charges as of Tuesday Loughney was from Woodville in St Croix County Wisconsin Related Articles Woodbury agents seek info on rug connected to house fire Firefighters make progress on Northern Minnesota blazes St Paul Police Department tickets the greater part distracted drivers by a long shot in state campaign States are telling sheriffs whether they can or can t work with ICE Ely unit helps fight northern Minnesota wildfires from the sky