Wrong-Way Driver Causes Crash On I-494, No Serious Injuries
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske says it could have been a lot worse.
He said they got a call that someone was driving down Interstate 494 the wrong way near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. When officers got to the scene, a 76-year-old woman driving a 2012 Chrysler Town & Country was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-494 at 34th Avenue.
"Any time you have two cars heading in the opposite direction on the freeway, there could be a disaster," Roeske said.
A 23-year-old woman driving a 2006 Chevy Cobalt swerved to miss the wrong-way driver and crashed into a concrete barrier in the median, authorities said. The wrong-way driver then hit a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe head-on, being driven by a 34-year-old woman, causing that vehicle to roll several times.
Roeske said they got the call at about 10:24 a.m., but were not able to get to the scene before the crash. Three people, including the wrong-way driver, suffered non-life threatening injuries. Roeske said they don't believe drugs or alcohol were a factor.