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• Motorcycle accidents plague Pierce County over weekend
• Crash kills one in Pierce County
• Victims' names released in deadly Pierce County accident

Three accidents in Pierce County on Saturday sent several motorcyclists to the hospital as more than 25,000 motorcyclists descended on the county as part of the annual Flood Run.

The first accident occurred at around 2:55 p.m. Saturday.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department says that Gregory Lunde, 41, Coon Rapids, Minn., was traveling northbound on a motorcycle on Pierce County Highway O in the Town of Trenton when failed to negotiate a curve and went into the ditch and struck an embankment.

A passenger on his motorcycle was Linda Bachman, 40.

Both Lunde and Bachman were taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Monday morning Lunde was in critical condition there and Bachman was in good condition, according to a Regions spokesperson.

Just after this accident another motorcycle accident occurred in the same location.

Pierce County authorities say that Matthew Thompson, New Richmond, was also northbound on Pierce County O when he turned to look back at the other accident.

Because he was looking at the other accident Thompson struck three motorcycles on the side of the road and was then thrown from his motorcycle.

He was taken to Fairview Red Wing Medical Center in Red Wing, Minn., where he was treated and released.

Pierce County deputies responded to another motorcycle accident on Hwy. 65, just north of Beldenville after a couple crashed their bike in a curve between 750th and 790th streets.

The passenger, Kimberly K. Kay, 38, of Hudson, was most seriously injured. She was airlifted from the scene to Regions Hospital at about 8:50 p.m. Her condition was listed as fair on Monday morning with undisclosed injuries.

Shawn R. Friese, 45, the motorcycle's driver, was transported by Ellsworth Area Ambulance to River Falls Area Hospital for treatment of injuries. He was treated and released.

The pair were part of a group of motorcyclists traveling together when the accident occurred at 8:29 p.m.

Investigations are under way on all three accidents.

The Flood Run around Lake Pepin is an annual event to benefit the Gillette Children's Hospital in the Twin Cities.

Spring and fall runs in 2006 netted $39,000 to help children with disabilities.

The Flood Run started in 1965 to help people and towns along the river by sand bagging the riverbanks. In appreciation, the towns invited everyone back for food and drinks. The visit became an annual event, and more and more bikers show up every year.

A head-on collision Sunday between a 2005 Volvo and a 2002 Cadillac Escalade on Highway 35 south of Prescott resulted in the death of one of the drivers and two other individuals being airlifted.

The accident occurred around 5:52 p.m., according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, near 1240th Street in the Town of Oak Grove with both vehicles ending up in the southbound lane of Highway 35 after they collided.

Authorities say that the driver of the Volvo was pronounced dead at the scene.

A passenger in the Volvo and the driver of the Escalade were both airlifted by North Memorial Air Care to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with undisclosed injuries.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims as next of kin are still being notified. A spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Department expects the names to be released sometime Monday afternoon.

RiverTowns.net will provide that information when it becomes available.

Highway 35 was closed for 2.5 hours because of the accident.

Both accidents are under investigation and the Pierce County Sheriff's Department has been asked to do an accident reconstruction.

The Prescott Fire Department and the Prescott Ambulance Service along with ambulance services from both Ellsworth and River Falls assisted on the scene.

A deadly head-on collision Sunday claimed the life of a Prescott woman and sent her husband and the driver of the other vehicle to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

Michele Bevier, 42, Prescott, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident which occurred at around 5:50 p.m., on Highway 35 near 1240th Street, just south of Prescott in the Town of Oak Grove.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department released her name and the names of the other two victims Monday afternoon.

Injured in the accident were Bevier's husband, Dana Laird, 43, Prescott and Jeffrey Carlisle, 27, Hager City.

Both men were airlifted to Regions Hospital by Life Link II and North Memorial Air Care helicopters. On Monday afternoon a Regions spokesperson said both men were in critical condition.

The accident occurred when a 2005 Volvo driven by Bevier and a 2002 Cadillac Escalade driven by Carlisle collided, with both vehicles ending up in the southbound lane of Highway 35.

Carlisle was the only occupant of the Escalade.

The accident is under investigation by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol who were asked to do a crash reconstruction.

Assisting on the scene were ambulance services from Prescott, Ellsworth and River Falls. The Prescott Fire Department also assisted.

Highway 35 was shutdown for 2.5 hours with workers from the Pierce County Highway Department providing traffic control.