Californian killed in crash on snow-covered Maplewood highway

A California man was killed shortly before midnight Friday in Maplewood when the sedan he was riding in crossed lanes on snow-covered Hwy. 61 and collided head-on with a pickup truck, the State Patrol said.

The victim was identified as Tou Moua, 52, of Fresno, Calif. The driver of the car, Chue Asham Yang, 57, of Maplewood and another passenger, Sammie Tao Moua, 45, of North St. Paul were taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with noncritical injuries.

Alcohol was involved with the car's three occupants, and only Yang was wearing a seat belt.

According to the State Patrol, Yang's Toyota Corolla was heading north on Hwy. 61 when it jumped the curb at County Road B and entered the southbound lanes of Hwy. 61, hitting the pickup truck.

The driver of the pickup, Edwin Hernandez, 22, of Minneapolis was wearing a seat belt and was not injured.