Morning Snow Leads to Bevy of Crashes on Local Roads

There has been no shortage of car accidents on the roads and highways in Eagan on Friday morning, thanks to an early accumulation of snow and slippery conditions.

As of 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Eagan police had responded to 11 accident reports, according to police spokeswoman Danielle Anselment. Most of the accidents were minor, although at least one injury was reported at a crash in the northbound lanes of Interstate 35E near the Diffley Road exit. That crashed occurred just after 8 a.m. this morning. In another accident at the intersection of Corporate Center Drive and Pilot Knob Road, a garbage truck collided with an SUV. No injuries were reported.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation also reported several crashes on highways in Eagan on Friday morning via its Twitter feed.

The story is the same across the metro area; An accumulation of 1-2 inches of snow caused havoc among commuters. As of 10 a.m. on Friday morning, the Minnesota State Patrol had responded to 153 crashes in the metro area, with 17 injuries reported, according to state patrol spokesperson Lt. Eric Roeske.

One Minnesota Department of Transportation official called the unusually high number of crashes "ridiculous" and said the morning was the most active the department had seen so far this year, according to an article in the Star Tribune.

MNDoT recommends that drivers clear snow and ice from their car windows before traveling, stay at least five car lengths from snowplows on the roads, slow down and stay alert during winter driving conditions.