Blaine police officer, wife killed in motorcycle crash

An off-duty Blaine police officer and his wife were killed Friday evening when their motorcycle collided with a pickup truck in Elk River.

Just after 6 p.m., Elk River police were called to the head-on crash near the 21100 block of Twin Lakes Road, where they found Steve and Marilyn "Susie" Nanney, both 51, of Ham Lake, dead.

The truck driver, a 17-year-old Elk River resident, suffered minor injuries, authorities said.

The crash remains under investigation by Elk River police and the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office.

Steve Nanney was a 10-year veteran of the Blaine force who most recently served as a school resource officer at Blaine High School. He mentored young people and actively pursued volunteer work in multiple capacities for Special Olympics, according to the police department.

Susie Nanney was an associate professor at the University of Minnesota, where she dedicated her life to the dietary health of children and promoting healthy lifestyles for hunger relief and school wellness. "Susie was a cherished faculty member. … Her energy and caring nature seemed to know no bounds," the U's Medical School said in a statement.

Blaine police released a statement saying, "Their compassion and kindness were well known in our community. This will be a time of grief in our Blaine community but we know we will get through this with you all together. Thank you."

Elsewhere in the metro area, tragedy befell at least two other motorcyclists over the Father's Day weekend.

A Robbinsdale man was killed early Saturday when his motorcycle crashed on a freeway exit ramp in Bloomington.

Just after 2 a.m., Cory Ray Jones, 48, lost control of his Harley-Davidson while traveling westbound on Interstate 494 to northbound Hwy. 100, according to the State Patrol. He died at the scene.

No other vehicles were involved.

On Friday, a 55-year-old male driver was killed in Brooklyn Center.

The man and his 33-year-old female passenger, both of Ham Lake, were heading north on Hwy. 100 and slowly approaching the curved entrance to eastbound 694 as cars quickly came up on their Harley. The driver attempted to change lanes and, overcorrecting, struck a concrete barrier.

The driver was killed in the crash; the passenger survived. She was taken to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, where her condition is unknown.

They have not yet been identified by authorities.