Crash Victim Stopped Vehicle in Middle of Minnesota Freeway
Oakdale, MN (KROC-AM News) - The State Patrol’s description of a fatal crash Sunday morning indicates the victim apparently triggered the deadly collision by stopping in the middle of a busy freeway.
The crash was reported just before 6 AM on southbound I-694 in Oakdale about a half-mile north of the I-94 interchange in the eastern Twin Cities suburb.
The State Patrol says a 22-year-old Maplewood man was driving south in a mini-SUV when he stopped his vehicle in the center lane of the freeway just south of the 10th Street interchange. A large SUV was also traveling south and crashed into the back of the stopped vehicle, which then went into the ditch and smashed into a light pole.
The driver of the small SUV that stopped in the roadway was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released.
His passenger was a 22-year-old woman from Cottage Grove who was transported to Regions Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the large SUV was identified as 52-year-old Jack Okumu of St. Paul. He was not injured and the State Patrol report on the incident indicates alcohol was involved on his part. Court records show he has a long history of DUI offenses that date back almost 25 years and includes a felony DUI conviction in 2016.
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