UPDATED: Fatal Crash Closes I-494 in Inver Grove Heights Following Police Pursuit
Updated 9:33 AM on November 18, 2024.
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA - A police pursuit that began early Monday morning in West St. Paul ended in a fatal crash involving a semi-truck on eastbound I-494 near Blaine Avenue. The incident, which occurred around 4:30 a.m. on November 18, remains under investigation by authorities.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the West St. Paul Police Department initiated the pursuit at approximately 4:28 a.m. near Minnesota Highway 62 and Mendota Road. Speeds during the pursuit reached 90-100 mph at times. The chase ended minutes later when the fleeing vehicle, a Chevy Malibu, collided with the rear-end of a Volvo semi tractor-trailer at a high rate of speed on I-494 in Inver Grove Heights.
The Minnesota State Patrol and Dakota County authorities are leading the investigation into the crash, which was classified as a serious injury incident and has since been updated to be fatal. The semi-driver was reported not to be injured due to the crash. Authorities have identified the fatal party to be a 39-year-old woman from Hastings, Minnesota. She was reported to be the driver of the Chevy Malibu that police were in pursuit of.
Emergency responders, including the South Metro Fire Department, M-Health EMS, West St. Paul Police, Inver Grove Heights Police, South St. Paul Police, and Minnesota State Patrol, were dispatched to the scene of the crash. Traffic on eastbound I-494 was closed at Exit 65, with vehicles being diverted off the highway at 7th Street and re-entering at 5th Street. The roadway was reopened to traffic around 7:30 a.m.
Stay tuned for updates as more information becomes available.
Written by: Will Wight
