Brothers driving vehicles in fatal crash

By Rae Kruger
Two brothers were driving separate vehicles in a fatal crash in Lincoln County on Sunday that killed the wife of one of the men.

Rosella Rybinski, 65, of Ivanhoe died in the Hendricks Hospital, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department said. Rybinski was a passenger in a 2004 Buick driven by her husband Joseph Rybinski, 73, the sheriff’s department said.

Joseph Rybinski was airlifted to a Rochester hospital where he remained in critical condition, the sheriff’s department said Monday.

Gene Rybinski, 62, of rural Hendricks and Joseph’s brother, was driving a northbound 2001 Ford pickup pulling a gooseneck trailer that collided head-on with the Rybinski vehicle in the crash reported at 7:33 p.m. Sunday on 170th Ave., about 1 3/4 miles north of Lincoln County Road 17, the sheriff’s office said.

Gene Rybinski and his son Alan, 17, were transported to the Hendricks Hospital and were treated and released, the sheriff’s office said.

Joseph Rybinski had first been airlifted to a Sioux Falls, S.D., hospital and was airlifted from there to Rochester, the sheriff’s department said.

“It is unbelievable,” said Barbara Herschberger of rural Ivanhoe. “We were not real close (to the families) but my reaction is no different than anybody else in town. When you live in small town you don’t have to be personally close friends, but you sure know them.”

People in both Hendricks and Ivanhoe will respond with prayer and other concern, Herschberger said.

“She was just a very, very nice person,” Audrey Steffes of Ivanhoe said of Rosella Rybinski.

Joseph and Rosella Rybinski had moved to Ivanhoe from their farm about a year to two years ago, residents and friends said.

“She just got her house fixed the way she wanted,” Steffes said of Rosella Rybinski.

The brothers and family members were described as a close family by Ivanhoe and Hendricks residents.