Kim Alan Granholm

Captain Granholm and members of his department responded to the scene of a car fire on a local interstate highway. The driver of the vehicle reported that the fire was out but firefighters continued to the scene to make sure. A pumper arrived on the scene and parked downstream from the involved vehicle on the right shoulder. A police cruiser parked upstream of the incident on the right shoulder with its emergency warning lights in operation. An approaching sedan slowed as it came upon the scene. The sedan was rear-ended by a pickup truck that was towing a trailer. The collision propelled the sedan into a spin and the vehicle veered to the right. The sedan struck the police car, spun into the group of firefighters and others on the scene, and pushed the vehicle that originated the incident into the pumper. Captain Granholm was struck by one of the involved vehicles. Two other firefighters, a police officer, and a civilian were also struck. Captain Granholm was airlifted to a regional hospital where he died in surgery. The cause of death was listed as multiple injuries with laceration of the aorta and exsanguination (blood loss). Thompson Township/Esko Volunteer Fire Department web site – www.fire-ems.net/firedept/view/EskoMN