A fiery fatal crash in Chisago County closed the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 near the Rush City exit for more than five hours Saturday.
Fatal crash on southbound I-35 closes stretch of highway for hours
Police scanner traffic indicated that a vehicle going the wrong way may have hit another head-on.
March 12, 2017 at 12:12PM
According to the State Patrol, a Chevrolet Equinox going the wrong way in the southbound lanes near Harris crashed head-on into a southbound Ford Fusion, which burst into flames on impact.
The driver of the Fusion died at the scene, officials said. The driver of the Equinox, an unidentified woman, was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the State Patrol.
The crash, which was reported at 3:21 p.m., prompted the State Patrol to close the southbound lanes from Rush City south to Harris until almost 9 p.m. Many motorists were stuck in the traffic line for more than an hour before traffic was rerouted onto other roads.
Photos taken by drivers passing through the area showed smoke and flames rising from the crash site and charred wreckage thereafter.
Miguel Otárola • 612-673-4753
The pilot was the only person inside the plane, and was not injured in the emergency landing, according to the State Patrol.
