Morning crash at major PR intersection stalls traffic, buses, causes no injuries

Crash scene — A red compact car sustained heavy damage as the driver sought to avoid a motorist who failed to yield before pulling out on Highway 34 Thursday morning. (Sarah Smith / Enterprise)

By Sarah Smith

February 07, 2013 at 7:07 AM

A crash Thursday morning at a major intersection west of Park Rapids snarled commuter traffic to and from Detroit Lakes and slowed school bus traf-fic to nearby Century School.

Neither driver was injured in the crash around 7:15 a.m. at Highway 34 and Western Avenue.

The State Patrol said the driver of a black SUV failed to yield as he pulled onto the highway from Western. The westbound driver of a compact red car on Highway 34 was unable to swerve to avoid him.

Both drivers were examined at the scene, but no one was transported.

The bigger headache for law enforcement was traffic control. It was prime time for commuters and buses. Impatient drivers swerved around the vehicles in the middle of the highway, completely ignoring hand signals from law officers on the road directing traffic.

Officers from the State Patrol, Hubbard County, Park Rapids police and North Memorial Ambu-lance personnel all responded.