Overnight snow causes nearly 200 crashes, 1 fatal, on Minnesota roads
MINNEAPOLIS — Friday is a NEXT Drive Alert day due to the overnight snowfall on Minnesota roads.
NEXT Weather Meteorologist Joseph Dames says about 2-5 inches of snow fell across central Minnesota, including the Twin Cities.
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Between 5 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday, the Minnesota State Patrol reported 175 crashes on state roads, with 19 resulting in injuries. There were also 101 spinouts and three jackknifed semis.
One of those crashes proved fatal. The state patrol says an accident Thursday night northwest of Albert Lea involving a semi and an SUV killed a 54-year-old man from Buffalo Center, Iowa. It happened just after 8 p.m. on Interstate 90 in Manchester Township. The driver of the semi was also hurt but is expected to survive.
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A rollover crash caused hours of cleanup in Edina. A semi-truck accident spilled diesel fuel onto westbound Interstate 494 under the France Avenue overpass at about midnight, according to the state patrol. A contractor was called out to help clean it up, which took about six hours. No one was hurt.
Many of us may want to stay off of the roads Friday, but sometimes you don't have a choice.
James Kilbarada, owner of Elite Driving, has been teaching the rules of the road for 20 years. He has some tips to stay safe in these dangerous conditions, emphasizing the most important thing to remember is to give yourself some room.
"Break more than you think you have to at first, so if you do hit that patch of ice you've already taken off a bunch of your speed," Kilbarada said. "Don't be the problem. Look out for other people."
The best ways to look out for others include turning on your headlights when it's snowing, avoiding cruise control and giving yourself extra time. And of course, be patient with yourself and others on the road.
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One wild crash happened before any snow fell. MnDOT cameras captured an SUV speeding down Interstate 94 in Minneapolis Thursday night. It hit a truck, flipped on its side, slid along the divider and didn't stop until it rear-ended another SUV.
It skidded down the interstate for nearly 10 seconds before it finally came to a rest. The state patrol says they arrested the driver for drunk driving. No injuries were reported in that crash.