Hundreds of crashes, 2 fatal, during Minnesota's March snowstorm
MINNEAPOLIS — There were hundreds of crashes on Minnesota's roads during a spring snowstorm Sunday and Monday, authorities said.
Two of those crashes were fatal, killing a 51-year-old woman in Burnsville Sunday afternoon and a 26-year-old woman in Litchfield Monday morning, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
Hundreds more vehicles lost control on slick roadways and ended up in ditches, on shoulders and elsewhere off the road.
In addition to steady snowfall for much of the state throughout the day Sunday, a transition to rain early Monday made the morning commute messy. WCCO issued a NEXT Drive Alert, which has since expired.
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From 12 a.m. Sunday to 11:30 a.m. Monday, there were 439 crashes statewide, the state patrol said. Someone was injured in 24 of those crashes, in addition to the two fatalities previously mentioned. There were also 385 vehicles spun out or off the road and 14 jackknifed semis.
Two separate crashes were reported in the Twin Cities involving light rail trains. Though early in the investigation, police believe snowy road conditions to be factors in both crashes.
Road conditions are expected to remain dicey for the next couple of days as rain continues and, eventually, snow returns.