A routine commute through downtown Fargo turned into a horrific multi-vehicle scene within seconds on Thursday afternoon. Commuters heading through the intersection of Main Avenue and University Drive watched in shock as a single missed signal touched off a devastating series of collisions during the afternoon rush.
The trouble began right around 3:21 p.m. under a steady drizzle of light rain. Roads across the city were wet, creating slippery conditions just as traffic was picking up along Main Avenue. That was when 60-year-old Ronald Huebner of Mahnomen, Minnesota, headed westbound into the intersection on a 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
According to state troopers, Huebner’s motorcycle did not stop for the red signal governing the University Drive crossing. Sliding into the intersection, the bike hit the back of a 2023 Subaru Ascent driven southbound by Fargo resident Kirsten Barton, 53, who had her 67-year-old passenger Laura Barton in the car.
The violent force of that first collision tossed Huebner off the motorcycle and into the adjacent lane. 23-year-old Dylan Kangas, driving southbound in a 2023 Ford F-150, was unable to avoid the downed rider, striking Huebner moments after he hit the pavement.
The runaway Harley-Davidson continued tumbling across the slick street on its own momentum. The motorcycle finally came to rest after striking a 2006 Ford Fusion operated by 20-year-old Sarah Delgado of Fargo, adding a fourth vehicle to the wreckage.
Emergency crews scrambled to the wet intersection and located Huebner lying on the roadway. Even though the rider had been wearing a protective helmet, the consecutive impacts left him with life-threatening injuries. Emergency personnel rushed him to Sanford Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
State troopers reported that Kirsten Barton, Laura Barton, Dylan Kangas, and Sarah Delgado all escaped the frightening ordeal without any injuries. Investigators credited proper seat belt usage among all vehicle occupants for preventing further harm inside the cars.
Traffic through the busy intersection was disrupted for hours as crash reconstruction teams mapped out the scene and gathered evidence. The North Dakota Highway Patrol is actively continuing its investigation into the exact mechanics of the crash, working to provide answers to the grieving family Huebner leaves behind.
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