Park Rapids man killed after being struck by a vehicle on Highway 34 Friday evening

Detroit Lakes , MN (KDLM) – A Park Rapids man was killed when he was struck by a vehicle on Highway 34 in Park Rapids on Friday evening.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, on Dec. 22 at 5:45 p.m., a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by 37-year-old Lacy Loren Johansen of Park Rapids, was eastbound on Highway 34 at Lake Avenue when she struck 68-year-old Willard Eugene Pietila of Park Rapids, who was walking near the roadway.

Pietila was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids, but later pronounced dead.

Johansen told officers that she believed she had struck an animal, her phone was dead, and that she was unable to stop immediately because of traffic. 

She did, however, return to the scene in her vehicle, but continued on after she saw emergency vehicles. She later called 911 to follow-up on the crash.

According to a preliminary crash report, road conditions were wet at the time of the collision.

Pietila is believed to have had alcohol in his system at the time of the crash and it is unknown if Johansen had alcohol in her system at the time of the incident.