Fatal, Head-On Collision On I-394 Highlights Troubling Trend
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A driver going the wrong way was killed early this morning when he hit another vehicle head-on.
The State Patrol says 30-year old Ronnell Ross of Clarks Grove was on I-394 just outside of downtown Minneapolis around 3:30 a.m. Monday. He was headed west in the eastbound lanes when he hit another car driven by a man from Apple Valley.
Ross was killed. The other driver was hurt and is recovering in the hospital.
The State Patrol is still trying to determine exactly where that wrong way driver got on to I-394. They were first alerted to the problem by a 911 caller who saw a car going west in the eastbound lanes of the highway at Dunwoody Boulevard. The fatal, head-on collision occurred, just seconds later near Theodore Wirth Parkway.
"We do have a high number of wrong way calls, but typically drivers correct themselves and get turned around once drivers recognize the mistake," Lt. Tiffani Nielson of the Minnesota State Patrol said.
In this case, that didn't happen. Ronnell Ross continued going the wrong way on I-394 until he hit the driver of a Toyota 4Runner head-on.
"Last night's crash, we don't know if alcohol was a factor yet," Nielson said. "We are going to have to wait for a medical examiner's report to know that. No indications at this point that we can be certain of until we have that."
Because Ross was killed, there's no way to know where he was headed or where he was coming from.
"Traffic management cameras can be helpful," Nielson said. "Sometimes receipts in the vehicle can tell us where the driver was at, or maybe family and friends have some information about his location prior to the crash that will help us narrow down where he could've come on."
Wrong-way driving happens more often than you might expect. The State Patrol says between January of this year and May 2, there have been 431 calls to 911 about drivers going the wrong way on a Minnesota highway. Of those, 172 were in the metro area.
"Sometimes older drivers become confused, disoriented. We do see that," Nielson said. "Or people who are not familiar with the roadway, the ramps, can inadvertently pull onto the ramp thinking it's an entrance ramp and it's actually an exit ramp."
But there is something to be aware of that could protect you from a wrong-way driver.
"For some reason, wrong-way drivers tend to drive in the what they believe is the right lane of traffic, which is the left lane of the freeway," Nielson said.
So during time of light traffic -- like late at night -- it's best to avoid the far left lane that you'd typically use for passing someone.
So far this year, 106 people have died in crashes -- surpassing where we were at this time last year.
The state patrol says wrong-way crashes occur most often when getting out of downtown Minneapolis and onto I-394, I-94 and I-35W, particularly for out-of-town drivers who aren't familiar with the layouts, though Nielson said no one spot in particular is causing problems.
There is a GoFundMe account set up for the family of Ronnell Ross. Click here for more information.