Motorcyclist crashes in Maplewood during chase, injuring himself and 3 others
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. — A man is fighting for his life after crashing while leading authorities on a chase in the north metro Saturday night.
The Minnesota State Patrol says it initiated a pursuit of the motorcyclist near Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 8 in Forest Lake around 9:20 p.m.
The pursuit on the ground ended a short time later once a state patrol aircraft took over following the motorcyclist.
The motorcyclist continued to travel at a high rate of speed before eventually crashing into a Toyota Highlander in the area of Interstate 35E and Roselawn Avenue in Maplewood, the state patrol says.
The motorcyclist, a 34-year-old man from Hibbing, suffered life-threatening injuries, according to the crash report.
The driver and two passengers of the Toyota all suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening and were not hospitalized.
As a result of the crash, southbound I-35E between Little Canada Road and Highway 36 was temporarily closed.
The Minnesota State Patrol did not say why they began pursuing the motorcyclist in the first place.