FREEBORN COUNTY, MINNESOTA — Two semi-truck drivers were killed in separate crashes early Monday on icy Minnesota highways, including a northbound Interstate 35 collision near Albert Lea that involved a Target truck and a second crash on Highway 59 in southwest Minnesota that left another driver dead and a second driver critically injured, authorities said.

The Minnesota State Patrol said the first crash happened at about 2:00 a.m. Monday on northbound I-35 in Bath Township in Freeborn County, near Albert Lea, when two semi-trucks collided and both rigs ended up in the median ditch. Roads were reported as snowy and icy at the time of the crash.

Troopers said Alessandro Gelsomino, 46, of Miami, Florida, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver, a 34-year-old man from Hamilton, New Jersey, was taken to a hospital in Albert Lea with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, and authorities said he was recovering at a nearby hospital. One report also stated that the other driver was in life-threatening condition, while another described the injuries as non-life-threatening.

One of the trucks involved in the I-35 crash was from Target, and the company released a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened by the fatal crash in Freeborn County. Our thoughts and condolences are with the family, loved ones, and all those impacted by this tragic incident.”

Reports differed on seatbelt details for the I-35 crash, with one account stating that both men were wearing seatbelts at the time of that crash.

The second fatal crash happened on Highway 59 near 156th Street in Mason Township in southwest Minnesota just before 7:30 a.m. Monday, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Authorities said it involved two semi-trucks traveling in opposite directions. A 59-year-old man from Minneota was killed, but his identity had not yet been released. The other driver, a 61-year-old man from Tyler, sustained life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where his condition was not known.

Alcohol was not suspected in either crash, according to authorities. State Patrol officials said the Highway 59 crash involved at least one driver who was not wearing a seatbelt.

Both crashes remain under investigation as troopers continue reviewing the circumstances and road conditions that contributed to the collisions.

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