A well known Blue Earth businessman was killed in an early Thursday morning accident according to a Minnesota Highway Patrol report.

Russell Souba, 74, was killed when a 1999 Ford Taurus he was driving collided with a 1999 Dodge Ram truck at the intersection of 14th Street and Highway 169.

The accident happened at 8:09 a.m. during a rainstorm. The driver of the truck, Lance Johnson, 29, and passenger, Ryan Wirkus, both of Blue Earth, had no apparent injuries according to the highway patrol report.

The Taurus was eastbound on 14th Street, while the Dodge Ram truck was southbound on Hwy 169. The car was broadsided by the truck as it crossed the highway, according to the report.

The Blue Earth Police Department, Faribault County Sheriffs Department, Blue Earth Ambulance and Fire Departments were also on the scene.

Souba was an insurance agent at Minn-Iowa Agency in Blue Earth, and had been employed there for 25 years.

“This is tragic,” Minn-Iowa Agency owner John Keister says. “This is a bad day here.”

Keister says Souba was well-liked and respected by everyone.

The Blue Earth Police Department, Faribault County Sheriffs Department, Blue Earth Ambulance and Fire Departments were also on the scene.