Semi rear-ends vehicles on I-35W
This semitrailer truck rear-ended three vehicles on northbound Interstate 35W in Burnsville at Cliff Road Wednesday, according to the State Patrol. Photo by Rick Orndorf
Four people were injured, one seriously, when a semitrailer truck rear-ended three vehicles Wednesday on Interstate 35W at Cliff Road in Burnsville.
The driver of the northbound semi apparently failed to slow down in time with the rest of the traffic as it approached the Minnesota River bridge, where the right lane was closed for a maintenance project, said Lt. Eric Roeske of the State Patrol.
The 11:15 a.m. crash snarled northbound traffic, which was reduced to one lane. State troopers were still on the scene as of 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Roeske said the three passenger vehicles that were struck were in the same lane as the semi. The initial contact with the first vehicle knocked the others to the side, he said.
The driver of the first vehicle struck suffered serious injuries, Roeske said Wednesday afternoon. The driver of the second vehicle and the driver and a passenger in the third suffered non-life-threatening injuries, he said.
“After the investigation is complete, we will forward the case to the county and city attorneys to review for any charges,” Roeske said.
The semi driver was not injured, he said.
“The message from this is that with the volume of construction projects and maintenance projects that take place, it’s important for all motorists to realize there’s a potential for unanticipated slowdowns at any time,” Roeske said. “They should obviously always be paying attention and following at a safe distance.”
