Extra caution while driving, State Patrol advises
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The State Patrol and MnDOT are warning drivers to be extra careful and avoid distractions after three people were killed on Minnesota roads Monday within five hours in separate accidents.
A 62-year-old woman died when she rear-ended a semitrailer in a construction zone on Interstate 694. In Itasca County, an ATV driver was killed after sideswiping a semitrailer. In Mille Lacs County, an 18-year-old woman died when she was hit broadside by an SUV that ran a stop sign.
The crashes are still under investigation, but driver inattention is usually a major factor in road accidents, said State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske.
"Obviously cell phone use is a huge one we hear about now, but any distraction in the vehicle, or a driver just simply not paying attention, can create a very dangerous situation," Roeske said.
Also Monday, another woman suffered serious injuries when the car she was riding in was rear-ended in a work zone on Highway 212 west of the Twin Cities.
The construction zone accidents highlight the need for increased patience and awareness in work zones, "just a general higher level of caution as you're driving through those areas," Roeske added.
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