Southbound 169 back open at Excelsior Boulevard after crash causes temporary closure
A busy stretch of highway is back open after a multi-vehicle crash early Friday morning caused it to temporarily close.
Around 6:45 a.m., the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced that southbound Highway 169 at Excelsior Boulevard in Hopkins was back open.
Previously, the agency’s 511 website had said the closure would be in effect for about three hours, but crews were able to clear the scene quicker than anticipated.
The incident was caught on traffic management cameras and can be seen in the video player above.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a Nissan spun out in the southbound lanes just before 5 a.m. Minnetonka police responded to the crash, and one of their squads was hit by a Jeep that was also headed south. The Jeep then hit the Nissan.
Authorities say the driver of the Jeep ran from the scene. The vehicle was then towed. Authorities haven’t provided a description of the driver at this time.
The State Patrol adds the male officer whose squad was at the scene wasn’t injured, and the woman driving the Nissan was taken to an area hospital for injuries considered to be non-life-threatening.
Behind that crash, authorities add there was a pileup involving five vehicles, including a jackknifed semi. They were towed from the scene. One of the vehicles involved in the pileup was seen hitting the barrier near the far-right lane.
No injuries were reported in the pileup.
The crash scene was cleared around 6:45 a.m.
Additional crashes continued to pop up throughout the early morning hours on Friday across the entire Twin Cities metro area.
Black ice is possible on roads and bridges, so drivers should take some extra time to get to their destinations. An interactive traffic map showing current traffic conditions can be found at the bottom of this article.