Four die in three crashes involving motorcycles in Twin Cities metro area

An off-duty Blaine police officer and his wife died in a crash involving their motorcycle and a truck on Friday night, one of three fatal crashes involving motorcycles in the Twin Cities metro area in just eight hours.

The Elk River Police Department reported that its officers responded to a head-on crash involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck just after 6 p.m. Friday in the vicinity of the 21000 block of Twin Lakes Road.

The motorcycle operator and passenger died at the scene. Authorities identified them as Steve Nanney, a Blaine police officer, and his wife Susie Nanney, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. Both were 51 and from Ham Lake, Minn.

The 17-year-old driver of the pickup truck sustained minor injuries, police said. The crash remains under investigation.

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Steve Nanney was a school resource officer at Blaine High School. Susie Nanney taught in the U of M's Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.

The Blaine Police Department issued a statement saying that Steve Nanney "was a dedicated servant to our community for over 10 years," and that and Susie Nanney "dedicated to the dietary health of children in promoting healthy lifestyles for hunger relief and school wellness. ...

"Their compassion and kindness were well-known in our community."

In the other fatal crashes:

• The Minnesota State Patrol reported that a 48-year-old Robbinsdale, Minn., died early Saturday when his motorcycle crashed while traveling from westbound Interstate 494 to northbound State Highway 100 in Bloomington. The crash happened just after 2 a.m.; the patrol said it appeared no other vehicles were involved.

• The patrol said a 55-year-old Ham Lake man died when his motorcycle crashed at about 11:30 p.m. Friday on the ramp from northbound Highway 100 to eastbound Interstate 694 in Brooklyn Center. A passenger, a 33-year-old Ham Lake woman, was injured. The patrol said the motorcycle lost control on the ramp and hit a concrete barrier.