Fatality Crash Nelson County Highway 32
What: Fatality
Where: Highway 32 mile marker 151 about 6 miles south of Petersburg, North Dakota
When: September 14, 2023, at 3:45 pm
Road Conditions: Good
Weather Conditions: Clear, Sunny
Crash Involvement: Vehicle vs Vehicle
Type of Crash: Angle
Agencies Involved: The below list of responding agencies may not be complete.
North Dakota Highway Patrol, Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, Grand Forks County Sheriff’s
Office, North Dakota Game and Fish, Northwood Police Department, Petersburg Rural Fire,
Michigan Whitman Rural Fire, Aneta Fire, Lake Region Ambulance, Spirit Lake Ambulance,
Altru Grand Forks Ambulance, Devils Lake Paramedic, Valley Ambulance, Lakota Ambulance,
McVille Ambulance, Larimore Ambulance, Fordville Ambulance, Park River Ambulance, Nelson
County Emergency Management, Walsh County Emergency Management, Interstate Towing
Vehicle No. 1: 2022 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2
Driver No. 1: Shari Bilden, Female, 56, Northwood, ND, injured
Restraints: Seatbelt in use
Passenger No. 1: Female, 15, Sharon, ND
Passenger No. 2: Female, 15, Larimore, ND
Passenger No. 3: Female, 16, Larimore, ND
Passenger No 4: Female, 16, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 5: Female, 15, Hatton, ND
Passenger No 6: Female, 16, Hatton, ND
Passenger No 7: Female, 14, Portland, ND
Passenger No 8: Female, 15, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 9: Female, 16, Portland, ND
Passenger No 10: Female, 15, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 11: Female, 16, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 12: Female, 15, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 13: Female, 16, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 14: Female, 15, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 15: Female, 16, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 16: Female, 17, Hatton, ND
Passenger No 17: Female, 14, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 18: Female, 16, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 19: Female, 14, Aneta, ND
Passenger No 20: Female, 14, Arvilla, ND
Passenger No 21: Female, 15, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 22: Female, 15, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 23: Female, 14, Hatton, ND
Passenger No 24: Female, 15, Aneta, ND
Passenger No 25: Female, 14, Northwood, ND
Passenger No 26: Female, 25, Coach Jana Mehus, Hatton, ND, injured
Vehicle No. 2: 2018, Dodge Pickup
Driver No. 2: Archie Gronvold, male, 68, Barton, ND, fatal
Restraints: Airbags deployed, Seatbelt in use
NARRATIVE: On September 14, 2023, at around 3:45 pm a Northwood bus was traveling
north on Highway 32. The bus was carrying members of the Hatton Northwood Volleyball
Team for a game in Petersburg, North Dakota. A pickup truck, driven by Archie Gronvold, was
traveling west on Nelson County Road 4. While Gronvold’s vehicle was crossing Highway 32 it
was struck on the driver’s side by the bus, driven by Bilden.
Multiple passengers on the school bus, including the driver and coach were transported to
Altru Hospital in Grand Forks for injuries sustained in the crash. Gronvold, the driver of the
pickup, died at the scene. None of the students suffered any life threatening injuries.
The crash remains under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
