Many of the highways and interstates that run through Minnesota and the rest of the country have medians of some kind separating the two directions of travel. Because of this, most people may wonder how a driver could end up traveling in the wrong direction on one of these roadways. However, it happens more often than anyone would like to think, especially the individuals involved in a crash resulting from such a scenario.
Recently, the Minnesota State Patrol responded to a crash in which a vehicle somehow ended up traveling southbound in Interstate 35W’s northbound lanes. Not surprisingly, it collided with a second vehicle headed in the correct direction in those lanes. Sadly, three people in the second vehicle lost their lives in the crash, and a fourth person was taken to an area hospital after suffering what reports indicate were life-threatening injuries. The only occupant of the first vehicle, a 21-year-old man, also succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
So far, the only factor investigators have ruled out is alcohol. It could take some time to determine how the first vehicle ended up traveling in the wrong direction on the interstate. The fact that the driver of wrong-way vehicle is deceased will likely complicate that inquiry.
Even though authorities, the victim and the families of the deceased victims may want to know how this day went so terribly wrong, the fact that the first vehicle was traveling in the wrong direction may be enough to prove negligence in any personal injury or wrongful death claims arising from this accident. If such claims are successful, any damages awarded could help with the financial losses that inevitably accompany such tragedies.