UPDATE: Inattentive driver caused four-vehicle pileup, authorities say

The St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department says an inattentive driver caused the four-vehicle pileup in the town of Hudson Tuesday morning.

All five people involved in the 9:43 a.m. accident were taken to hospitals by ambulance.

According to the accident report, Michael J. Belt, 31, of Willernie, Minn., was talking to his son and didn’t notice a line of vehicles stopped in a northbound lane of Hwy. 12 at the traffic lights at County UU. His pickup truck slammed into the rear of a pickup truck owned by Steve Martell Well Drilling of Somerset and operated by Steven D. Foster, 56, of New Richmond.

The Martell truck, in turn, was shoved into a minivan driven by Marlene A. Meyer, 57, of Hudson.

Meyer’s minivan was forced forward and hit a Yamaha motorcycle operated by Robert J. Smoyer, 47, of Maplewood, Minn. Another vehicle in the line-up escaped damage.

Foster and Meyer were the sole occupants of their vehicles and Smoyer was alone on the motorcycle.

Belt was traveling with his son, Braxton, no age given, of Hudson. Braxton was wearing a Hudson Boosters baseball uniform. Belt was cited for inattentive driving.

Michael Belt’s injury was reported to be the most serious, but not incapacitating. The others were reported to have suffered possible injuries.

A witness said Belt’s truck didn’t slow down before crashing into the truck driven by Foster. Airbags in Belt’s truck deployed.

Belt reportedly told a sheriff’s deputy that he was talking to his son and the next thing he knew the collision occurred.

Belt and his son were taken to River Falls Area Hospital by a River Falls ambulance. The other three drivers were taken to Hudson Hospital by St. Croix EMS.

The report says all of the accident victims were put on back boards.

Tags: news, accidents