MINNEKONKATONKA, MN - A bizarre incident on Highway 6 in Hightower County left six cars submerged in Lake Minnekonkatonka. Recovery workers spent three hours removing the vehicles, while local residents comforted the victims. No serious injuries were reported. "It was horrible!" said Marianne Jones, driver of the first
car to go into the lake. "I was just driving along, and all of sudden the car is flooding - I'm still not sure exactly what happened."
 "I saw all the cars in the water and I thought the road was flooded." said Myron Dillfinger, driver of the sixth car. "I figured if they all thought they could make it - I could, too."
Criminal charges could result from the incident, according to Sgt. Bill Rippleneck of the Highway Patrol: "We're looking into the involvement of the maintenance truck driver, and weather his actions were malicious or not." The maintenance driver, Howard Swansonson, was allegedly restriping the highway and decided to park by
the lake for lunch, forgetting to turn of the paint sprayers until he was well off the roadway. The errant striping subsequently diverted the cars into the lake.
"I kind of nodded off after I parked" explained Swansonson. "I kept hearing splashing sounds, but I just figured it was geese." David U. Infinger, owner of D.U.I. Striping, arrived at the scene after hearing of the incident. "I'm glad no one's hurt, but these people drove into that lake voluntarily, if you ask me."
"It was a no passing zone!" replied Arnold Sneevel, driver of the third car. "You can't cross that double yellow, everybody knows that!" All of the victims intend to seek civil action pending the Highway Patrol's investigation.
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