Two people were injured Friday morning in a two-vehicle crash on southbound Interstate 35 near Exit 11.

Nineteen-year-old Laura J. Rodel of Bird Island sustained an injury the Minnesota State Patrol reports as non-life threatening. Nineteen-year-old Cory A. Stuhr of Olivia was listed in critical condition as of Friday evening.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, shortly before 10 a.m. a beige 1999 Ford Super Duty pickup driven by Rodel and a four-door maroon 2009 Mazda 3 driven by 20-year-old Amanda M. Sorrell of Chaska were southbound. The Ford was in the right lane while the Mazda passed in the left lane. Rodel merged left for a semi entering the freeway from Exit 11 and struck Sorrell’s Mazda. The Mazda spun, coming to a halt, but the Ford spun into the median and rolled.

Sorrell was alone behind the wheel of the Mazda. She was not injured.

The roof of the truck was crushed, especially the passenger area. Fire crews extricated Stuhr from the passenger seat of the pickup. He was placed in an Albert Lea Medical Center ambulance until the Mayo One helicopter arrived. The chopper landed on the northbound lanes of Interstate 35, which was completely closed. Traffic on southbound I-35 was kept to a single lane. The chopper then left for St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

Rodel was transported by ambulance to Albert Lea Medical Center. She had been wearing her seatbelt and her airbag deployed, according to the State Patrol report. For Stuhr, the report said those two factors were unknown.

Sorrell drove the Mazda to Trail’s Travel Center following the collision. The Mazda had a 21-day temporary permit, recently purchased from Integrity Autosource. Sorrell, visibly shaken, declined to comment.

Freeborn County sheriff’s deputies assisted state troopers at the site.