Vehicle crash north of Duluth kills college assistant soccer coach

A man employed at Lake Superior College lost control of his vehicle and died in a crash near Duluth, authorities said.

The wreck occurred about 9:25 a.m. Sunday in the 5400 block of Jean Duluth Road, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said.

The driver was identified as 30-year-old Anthony Makela III.

Makela was an assistant coach for the men's soccer team at Lake Superior College in Duluth. He joined the program in 2019.

Makela's vehicle was headed north on Jean Duluth Road, where it hit a driveway embankment and struck two trees while airborne at roughly 15 feet, the Sheriff's Office said. Authorities have not said why the vehicle left the road.

Even though Lake Superior College's fall 2020 soccer season was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, "Tony was still actively reaching out to student-athletes to ensure they remained successfully engaged in school and were staying physically active," said college spokesman Daniel Fanning.

Head coach Anthony Wood said, "We lost not only a coach, but a friend and mentor to our student-athletes."

The team is planning a private and socially distanced gathering soon to honor Makela, Fanning said.

Paul Walsh