Second Child Dies in Monday Crash near Flandreau

The two-vehicle crash near Flandreau Monday morning has claimed another life. A third person died Tuesday.

According to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, Mariana Krempges, 7, Dell Rapids, died Tuesday in a Sioux Falls hospital. The other two victims, Joshua Krempges, 38, Flandreau, and Madyson Barbee, 11, Dell Rapids, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other passengers in the 1989 Toyota Camry that collided with a 2007 Chevy Silverado Pickup are still hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

To that end, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety sent out a statement tallying the death toll on South Dakota roads since July 1. Sixteen people have died in nine crashes during that period.

Three major factors were present in a majority of the crashes: Alcohol, Speed and Non-use of Seat Belts. Office of Highway Safety Director Lee Axdahl says those are issues that need constant attention.

“Unfortunately, those factors always seem to be part of most fatalities,” Axdahl says. “We know vehicle crashes can happen in an instant for a variety of reasons. Doing things such as not drinking and driving, slowing down and wearing your seat belt increases the chances of you and your passengers staying alive.”

The statistics show an increase of more than double compared to the same period in 2014. There were seven crashes and seven fatalities the first 13 days in July of last year.