Local News
25-Year-Old Tyler Nynas Killed in Fatal Single-Vehicle Crash in Thomson Township
THOMSON TOWNSHIP, Minn. — The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim of a fatal single-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a 25-year-old Barnum man and left another man critically injured Sunday evening in Thomson Township.
Authorities identified the deceased as Tyler Nynas, 25, of Barnum, Minnesota.
The passenger, Alexander Wheeler, 26, also of Barnum, suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to a Duluth hospital following the crash.
According to the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched at approximately 6:29 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, after receiving reports of a single-vehicle crash near the intersection of Thomson Road and Kangas Road.
When deputies arrived, they discovered a vehicle that had left the roadway for reasons that remain under investigation.
Emergency responders located two occupants inside or near the vehicle.
Tyler Nynas sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Alexander Wheeler was seriously injured and transported by LifeLink III air ambulance to Essentia Health Duluth, where he was listed in critical condition.
Investigators confirmed that the crash involved only one vehicle, and no other motorists were involved in the collision.
Authorities have not released information regarding what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway, and it remains unknown whether speed, impairment, weather conditions, or other factors contributed to the crash.
Several emergency agencies assisted the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office during the response, including:
Cloquet Police Department
Minnesota State Patrol
Cloquet Area Fire Distric
Esko Fire Department
Carlton Fire Department
LifeLink III Air Ambulance
First responders worked together to provide emergency medical care, secure the crash scene, and begin the investigation.
The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.
Officials said additional information may be released as investigators continue to determine what led to the vehicle leaving the roadway.
The death of Tyler Nynas has left family, friends, and the Barnum community mourning a tragic loss, while loved ones continue to hope for the recovery of Alexander Wheeler as he remains hospitalized.
Local News
Maddie Aasbo and Tyler Sturdevant Among Three Killed in Helicopter Collision Near McMinnville
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — Three people were killed Thursday afternoon, October 29, 2026, after two helicopters collided in midair and crashed into a field southeast of McMinnville, Oregon, authorities said.
The fatal collision was reported at approximately 2:10 p.m. near the intersection of Southeast Amity-Dayton Highway (Highway 233) and Southeast Cruickshank Road, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office.
Emergency responders arriving at the scene discovered two helicopters that had crashed in a field adjacent to Highway 233. All three people aboard the aircraft were pronounced dead.
Authorities identified the victims as Maddie Aasbo, 22, of Texas; Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon; and a student pilot from the United Kingdom whose name has not yet been released.
Aasbo was a flight instructor and was aboard a 1995 Robinson R22 helicopter with the student pilot. The student’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Sturdevant was the sole occupant of a 2018 Airbus AS350B3 helicopter, authorities said.
The two aircraft were found in the same field near Highway 233 after the reported midair collision. Officials confirmed that two people had been aboard the Robinson R22 and one person had been aboard the Airbus AS350B3.
Deputies from the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, officers from the McMinnville Police Department and troopers from the Oregon State Police’s McMinnville Area Command responded to the scene after witnesses reported the crash to the Yamhill Communications Agency.
The response included personnel from multiple law enforcement and emergency services agencies, who located the wreckage and confirmed the deaths of all three occupants.
The circumstances leading up to the collision have not yet been established publicly.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) responded to the scene and are leading the investigation into the deadly helicopter collision.
Investigators are expected to examine the wreckage and gather evidence to help determine what happened before the two aircraft collided. The cause of the crash has not been announced, and further details may emerge as the investigation continues.
No additional information about the circumstances of the flight or the events immediately preceding the collision was included in the initial report.
The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office expressed condolences to the families and friends of Aasbo and Sturdevant following the tragedy.
The deaths of the three occupants mark a devastating loss for their loved ones as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.
This remains an ongoing investigation. Further information, including the student pilot’s identity and the cause of the collision, may be released as it becomes available.