BLAINE, MN-- Officials have released the names of two Keweenaw Bay Indian Community firefighters who died in a crash in Blaine, Minnesota Saturday afternoon.
Alan Swartz, 25, and James Shelifoe, Jr., 23, were killed and several others were injured when their truck drove off I-35, hit a median cable and rolled several times.
The Tribe says those who suffered serious injuries included Ross Jaukkuri, Michael Johnson, Joseph Jossens, Gavin Loonsfoot, Shashaywin Sandman-Shelifoe, Tyler Tolonen, and David Varline. They’re all expected to recover.
The men were part of the KBIC Beartown firefighting crew. They were in a convoy and on their way to fight the Box Canyon fire in Utah.
The Tribe released a statement Sunday, saying, “The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is devastated and our hearts go out to the families and those injured. There has been an outpouring of support and we are very appreciative.”
Police are still trying to determine what caused the accident.
