MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A 19-year-old motorcyclist speeding through rush hour traffic on Interstate 35W was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after rear-ending a pickup truck, according to authorities.
What we know
The Minnesota State Patrol crash report indicates the collision happened on Tuesday after 5 p.m. on I-35W near the 36th Street exit.
A traffic camera captured the event as the motorcyclist was heading northbound in between two lanes of traffic. When cars ahead started slowing down, the motorcyclist sideswiped a Jeep Wrangler before crashing into the back of a pickup truck.
First responders arrived on the scene and closed the right lanes of traffic while authorities investigated. The 19-year-old man from Blaine was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center to be treated for what authorities described as life-threatening injuries.
What we don’t know
The State Patrol report did not say how fast the teenager traveled leading up to the crash.
The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet, and alcohol was not considered a factor in the collision. The other two drivers involved were not injured in the crash.
Dig deeper
A law has been passed in Minnesota allowing motorcyclists to “lane-split” or drive in between lanes of traffic that are heading in the same direction.
However, the law doesn’t go into effect until July 1, 2025, and a motorcyclist may not go 15 mph over the speed of traffic or travel faster than 40 mph.
