Shifting load kills truck driver on southbound I-694 in Oakdale

Southbound Interstate 694 near Oakdale reopened late Saturday afternoon after being closed for several hours after a fatal crash.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported just before 1 p.m. that the freeway had been shut down near 4th Street.

Nelson Masse, 26, was driving a semitrailer truck south on the interstate died about 12:30 p.m. when he braked suddenly, causing the truck's load of steel beams to shift into the cab. Masse, whose hometown was not listed, died at the scene.

Earlier in the day, another fatality was reported on Hwy. 12 in Independence. An 18-year-old Delano woman died when the car she was driving collided with a semitrailer truck on Hwy. 12 in Independence, the West Hennepin Public Safety Department reported.

Marleena Anna Dieterich was traveling east at about 9 a.m. when she lost control of her vehicle on the icy road, crossed over the centerline into the westbound lane and collided with the truck.

Dieterich died at the scene. The truck driver, Jesse Eugene Chase, 50, of Princeton, was not injured.

The fatalities came on a day of hundreds of crashes and spinouts across the metro area and beyond. Snow and black ice that were the remnants of Friday's snowstorm were to blame in most cases.

Many roads, such as Hwy. 61 south of Interstate 94, appeared to be clear, but apparent invisible black ice caused a series of crashes and spinouts early Saturday.

Crashes were reported on 52, Interstates 94 and 35E, and many other roadways.

MnDOT and the State Patrol cautioned drivers to slow down and use extreme caution. Up-to-the-minute road conditions are posted on MnDOT's website.

STAFF REPORTS