Mario Rodriguez Involved in Car Accident in Aurora Township, Minnesota
On August 5, 2025, at 1:11 PM, a collision occurred on Highway 218 at 48th Street, south of Owatonna, in Aurora Township, Steele County, Minnesota. The incident involved a 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan and a 2018 Komatsu WA470 Payloader, both traveling northbound on Highway 218. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the vehicles collided under dry road conditions. The driver of the Dodge Grand Caravan, Leonardo Rodriguez Valdez, 21, of Faribault, Minnesota, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Owatonna Hospital for treatment. The passenger, Mario V. Rodriguez, 60, also of Faribault, suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to MCHS Rochester St. Marys. The driver of the Komatsu Payloader, Joseph Michael Fiedler, 47, of Claremont, Minnesota, was not injured.The investigation into the cause of the collision remains active, with support from the Steele County Sheriff's Office, Claremont Fire, Owatonna Police Department, and Owatonna Fire Department. No additional information regarding the circumstances of the incident has been disclosed at this time.
