Man Killed in Freak Accident as He Tried to Tow Pickup From Ditch During Blizzard

A Minnesota man died after suffering a fatal head injury as he tried to tow his pickup from a ditch in snowy conditions.

Travis Pineur, 33, of Morristown, had gone into a ditch on Iona Avenue in Rice County on Sunday morning, according to the Rice County Sheriff’s Office.

A Good Samaritan, Tyler Nusbaum, stopped to help him tow the vehicle out using a tow strap.

But during this process, the receiver hitch from Nusbaum’s vehicle broke, sending the fractured hitch and trailer ball hurtling toward’s Pineur’s pickup.

It broke through the rear windows of the topper and truck before striking Pineur on the back of the head, causing what was ultimately fatal head trauma.

He died after being taken first to District One Hospital and then Hennepin County Medical Center.

Pineur was an adventurer and hunter who ran his own guide and outfitting service called Nomad Adventures, which he created after he started guiding in Colorado in the mid-2000s.

His Facebook page lists him as a graduate of Faribault High School.