Steven Kessel Obituary, Death – In the early hours of Sunday morning, a North Dakota Highway Patrol car was involved in a head-on collision with a car that was traveling in the wrong direction on US-83 near the Costco in north Bismarck. According to state police, the trooper had parked in the median on US-83 near Brookside Lane when he noticed a car approaching from the south in the northbound lane.
In an attempt to get the driver’s attention, the trooper activated his red emergency lights and entered the road. However, as the car neared, it veered towards the median but then swerved back onto the roadway, resulting in a direct collision with the trooper’s vehicle. Both vehicles deployed their front airbags upon impact, and the trooper sustained minor injuries but did not require hospitalization. On the other hand, the driver and passenger of the car were taken to the hospital with injuries of unknown severity.
The driver of the vehicle has been identified as Steven Kessel from Bismarck and has been charged with DUI, reckless endangerment, and driving with a suspended driver’s license. The passenger has been identified as Nathan Lavallie from Mandan.
The Bismarck Police Department and Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office are currently conducting an investigation into the crash.