STEWART, Minn., Jan. 28 (UPI) -- A man found dead 2 1/2 miles from his stranded car after a blizzard in southern Minnesota was identified by authorities Tuesday.
The McLeod County Sheriff's Office said Gary Allen Kontz, 55, of rural Stewart, had not been heard from since Sunday night when there were blizzard conditions in the region. He apparent left his car, which had gotten stuck in the snow, and his body was found Monday morning, more than 2 miles away, KAAL-TV, Austin, reported.
Meanwhile, dozens of crashes were reported Tuesday in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area where black ice slickened roadways.
One involved a sport utility vehicle that rolled over on Minnesota 280, claiming the life of Uriel Isidoro, 29, of South St. Paul, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.
The state patrol said it responded to 350 crashes, including 170 instances where vehicles spun off roads Tuesday morning. At least 30 involved injuries, the newspaper said.
Temperatures were in the teens below zero with wind chills in the -20 to -40-degree range.
