Two women died Sunday morning in a head-on collision on Highway 83 north of Bismarck, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol. The crash occurred just before 10:30 a.m. Near the junction of Highway 83 and 1804/71st Ave NE, approximately 20 miles north of Bismarck.
Authorities reported that foggy conditions limited visibility to around 100 yards at the time of the accident. An 80-year-traditional woman from Williston was driving a GMC Acadia south in the northbound lanes when it collided with a Nissan Maxima traveling north. The driver of the Nissan was a 21-year-old woman from Bismarck.
Both women were transported to a Bismarck hospital, where they were pronounced dead as a result of their injuries. The North Dakota Highway Patrol confirmed the 80-year-old driver was wearing a seatbelt, even as the 21-year-old was not.
Northbound lanes of Highway 83 were closed to non-residential traffic for approximately two hours following the crash. The highway patrol permitted local commuter traffic to pass through the area, but advised others to avoid the stretch of road or utilize Highway 1804 as a detour.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision. The cause of the 80-year-old driver being in the wrong lane remains under investigation.