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At least one dead after car plunges into river

At least one person died after a vehicle went off an Interstate 35 bridge near Scanlon and ended up in the St. Louis River.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the crash happened at 12:03 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10.

First responders donned water rescue gear to reach the vehicle, which was mostly submerged but partly visible in the water underneath the bridge.

Killed in the crash was the female passenger, Barbara Jean Kimber, age 78, of Carlton.

The driver of the 2004 Ford Explorer, an 80-year-old man, has not been identified. The MSP report did not detail whether he is alive and, if so, in what condition. MSP says that information will be released at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 11.

Numerous rescue personnel responded to the scene, including the Cloquet Area Fire District, St. Louis Rescue, the Carlton County Sheriff's Office and MSP.

Traffic was delayed for hours on the interstate between Esko and Cloquet as the rescue and then cleanup operations were carried out.