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
Jimmy Brooks Killed in Wrong-Way Tesla Crash on I-26 in Buncombe County, Driver Bradley Vance Charged
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — Jimmy Lee Brooks, 42, of Leicester, North Carolina, died after a wrong-way Tesla crash involving three vehicles on Interstate 26 near Asheville on Thursday afternoon, October 22, 2026.
Several other people were injured in the collision, and the Tesla driver has been charged in connection with the fatal crash.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Bradley Vance Lanier, 54, of Taylors, South Carolina, was driving a Tesla westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-26 near Exit 37 when the vehicle struck a Honda SUV head-on before colliding with a Honda passenger car.
Brooks was a passenger in the Honda passenger car. He was transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said troopers responded to the crash at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday near mile marker 37 on eastbound I-26.
According to the agency’s statement, the Tesla entered the interstate traveling west in the eastbound lanes near Exit 37, also associated with Long Shoals Road. The vehicle first struck a Honda SUV head-on and then collided with a Honda passenger car.
A trooper from a neighboring county arrived shortly after the collision and began providing assistance to a passenger inside the Honda passenger car.
The car’s driver and two passengers were transported to Mission Hospital with serious injuries. Brooks was among the passengers and later died at the hospital. Authorities said the conditions of the other occupants were not immediately known.
The driver of the Honda SUV was also taken to Mission Hospital with minor injuries and was later released.
Lanier, the driver of the Tesla, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Mission Hospital before being released, according to the Highway Patrol.
Troopers subsequently charged him with four offenses:
- Driving while impaired (DWI)
- Felony death by vehicle
- Felony serious injury
- Reckless driving
Following his release from the hospital, Lanier was taken to the Buncombe County Detention Facility, where he was being held on a $5 million secured bond, according to the agency’s statement.
The charges are allegations, and the case will proceed through the court system. The official statement does not establish a conviction.
Interstate 26 was closed for approximately two hours while troopers investigated the collision and documented the scene.
The investigation centers on the circumstances that led the Tesla to travel in the wrong direction on the eastbound side of the interstate and the subsequent collisions involving the two Honda vehicles.
Authorities have not released the current medical conditions of all the injured occupants.
The fatal crash claimed the life of Brooks, a Leicester resident, and left several other people requiring hospital treatment.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is investigating the collision. Further information about the case may be released as the investigation and legal proceedings continue.