35E Shut Down As Multi Car Collision Kills One In Lino Lakes

Tuesday night, a four car pile up resulted in one driver being killed. The decedent’s car was stopped for construction on northbound I-35E near 80th Street when it was rear-ended by another and hit a third that, in turn, crashed into a fourth The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office and police from Centennial Lakes and Lino Lakes are still investigating the cause.

The death comes a month after the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS) report that more than 300 people have died so far this year in Minnesota traffic collisions. According to the MDPS calculations, 450 deaths are projected for 2008. This would be a drop from 510 in 2007.

This death, like any other on Minnesota roads is particularly unfortunate considering that overall the number of highway deaths has been down for 2009. But, we will see if speed or other factors came into play. The incident happening in the area of road construction is concerning because drivers have got to slow down in those areas.

As with any death in a Minnesota motor vehicle collision, there are many issues that will need to be reviewed. My partner, Joe Crumley, addressed this topic in a recent article for the Minnesota Lawyers Trial magazine. I was interviewed last year on the same topic. In this tragic case, sorrow for the whole families goes out.