Van hits, kills 85-year-old woman in Howard Lake

An 85-year-old woman is dead after a van hit her while she was crossing the street Wednesday afternoon in Howard Lake.

A Minnesota State Patrol crash report states the woman was walking across Highway 12 at 11th Avenue shortly before 3 p.m. when a Nissan van headed east on the highway hit her.

The speed limit on that section of road is 30 mph, and there is a marked crosswalk with flashing lights at 11th Avenue. It’s unclear whether the lights were activated at the time of the crash.

On Thursday morning, the State Patrol identified the woman as Barbara Jean Hoppe of Howard Lake.