3 dead, 4 hurt when semi and stolen car collide in Minneapolis near I-35W off-ramp, police say

Three people are dead and four others are hospitalized when a stolen vehicle and a semi truck collided early Tuesday morning near an Interstate 35W off-ramp in southeast Minneapolis, according to police.

It happened around 4:12 a.m. when police say a semi "exiting southbound I-35W and crossing" Fourth Street Southeast struck a vehicle with seven occupants in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood, just west of the University of Minnesota campus and the city's Dinkytown district.

"Two males in the front seat and a female in the rear seat died at the scene," Minneapolis police said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. The boys were 15 years old.

On Wednesday, police identified two of the victims as Shiya Sargent and Calvin Wolfe. One of the victims remains unidentified.

The other teenagers — two 18-year-old men, a 17-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy — were taken to the hospital for potentially life-threatening injuries.

Police say the speed of the stolen vehicle, a Hyundai Elantra, contributed to the crash.

Authorities say the semi driver wasn't hurt, and the investigation is underway.

Students who live nearby say even without the threat of a speeding stolen car, traffic at the intersection is dangerous.

University of Minnesota senior Nora Doyle lives nearby and walks to campus. She says drivers routinely speed and with a cluster of one-way streets, navigating the area can be hazardous.

"With all the one ways it's a constant struggle, get across the street, having to walk across the street is even a little bit terrifying," she said.