Traffic & Transit

Video Shows Moments Before Fatal Highway 62 Crash

Alcohol was a factor in the deadly crash where a truck hit a cement column in Minneapolis, police said.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Department of Transportation has released video footage before and after the fatal crash on Highway 62 early Monday morning.

Twitter account Midwest Safety shared traffic camera footage and commentary of the crash.

Alcohol was involved in the fatal single-car crash that shut down both directions of Highway 62 in Minneapolis early Monday morning, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

Find out what's happening in Southwest Minneapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

According to investigators, just before 3:30 a.m., a Chevrolet Silverado with a trailer was traveling eastbound on Highway 62 when it hit a ditch and then collided with the cement underpart of the bridge at 34th Avenue.

A passenger — identified by authorities as 21-year-old Preston Rhyn Haley from Como, Colorado — died in the crash.

Find out what's happening in Southwest Minneapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The driver — identified by officers as a Wills Point, Texas man — suffered life-threatening injuries and is being treated at the Hennepin County Medical Center. Alcohol was detected on the driver, investigators said.

It is not clear if either of the two men were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, according to authorities.

Following the initial fatal crash, a Minneapolis fire truck collided with a Minnesota State Patrol squad car at the scene. The two emergency vehicles were responding to the first crash and had their lights activated.

Both the trooper and fire truck driver suffered minor injuries in the secondary crash, authorities said.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.