Motorcyclist dies after rear-ending vehicle in Dakota County

Ryan Pattee KSTP

The Minnesota State Patrol says a motorcyclist was killed after being involved in a vehicle crash late Thursday night.

Authorities say the crash happened around 11:35 p.m. when a Suzuki Motorcycle headed south on I-35 in Scott County rear-ended a Toyota RAV4 at a high rate of speed at County Road 29 in New Market Township.

The motorcycle came to rest on the left shoulder of the interstate, while the Toyota went into the right ditch.

An incident report says the collision happened while the motorcyclist was negotiating lane splits. Road conditions were listed as dry at the time of the crash.

The motorcyclist was identified as 20-year-old Cooper Russell Bertram of Elko. Meanwhile, the two occupants of the Toyota received non-life-threatening injuries and were not taken to the hospital.