3 State Troopers, 1 Driver Struck On Minn. Roads
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Three Minnesota State Patrol troopers and another driver were struck by vehicles in four separate accidents Thursday as blizzard conditions wreak havoc on Minnesota roads.
The state patrol says troopers were hit by drivers in Virginia, Brooklyn Center and Marshall.
The trooper in Marshall was able to drive himself to the hospital. The other two troopers were not injured.
A driver was hit by a car on icy Interstate 35E in White Bear Lake at about 1:22 p.m., according to the state patrol.
Officials say David J. Walden, 37, of Forest Lake, drove into a ditch due to blizzard conditions on I-35E and Highway 96.
The Walden got out of his car and was soon hit by another driver that lost control.
Walden's injuries were listed as non-life threatening, and the state patrol said he was talking at the scene.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation released an advisory Thursday afternoon, warning drivers to avoid any unnecessary travel in southeastern Minnesota.
The state patrol says there were 654 crashes statewide Thursday as of 8:30 p.m. Eighty-seven people were injured but not seriously hurt.
Four-hundred-twenty-nine cars went into ditches or were involved in spinouts, and 11 semis jackknifed.