Eagan police officer critically injured in I-35E crash

An Eagan police officer is hospitalized in critical condition after being injured in a multi-vehicle crash Tuesday morning on Interstate I-35E.

Kade Eggum was responding to a call and had his squad's emergency lights activated when he collided with a semitrailer truck in the northbound lanes of the freeway near Yankee Doodle Road in Eagan about 5:10 a.m., the Minnesota State Patrol said.

A third vehicle was also involved in the mishap that snarled traffic for hours as the lanes remained closed until about 12:30 p.m.

Eggum, who has been with Eagan police just over a year, was in critical but stable condition Tuesday afternoon at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Eagan police Sgt. Rich Evans said.

Eggum had entered I-35E at Pilot Knob Road and was attempting to make a U-Turn through the median when he collided with a semi also heading north. The impact severely damaged the squad on driver's side and pushed the vehicle into the center median, the State Patrol said.

The semitrailer truck driven by a 27-year-old man from Florida came to rest in the traffic lane. He was not hurt, the patrol said.

The driver of a third vehicle that was struck was not hurt. All three drivers were wearing seat belts, the patrol's report said.

Authorities shut down all three northbound lanes for nearly seven hours as they investigated the cause of the crash and cleaned up fuel that had leaked from the semi, said MnDOT spokeswoman Anne Meyer.

Motorists were diverted off the freeway at Pilot Knob Road, which led to snarled traffic for hours. Drivers were routed back onto the northbound lanes from an entrance ramp at Pilot Knob until the freeway reopened.

Southbound lanes of I-35E remained open to drivers.