Four Die in Memorial Day Weekend Traffic Crashes

Preliminary crash reports indicate four people were killed on Minnesota roads during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Office of Traffic Safety.

The deaths pushed the state’s annual traffic fatality count above the 100-death milestone — there have been 103 deaths this year compared to 108 at this time in 2011.

A motorcycle operator and his passenger accounted for two of the four deaths this weekend. To-date, the preliminary rider death tally is 13 for the year, compared to five at this time in 2011.

Preliminary Traffic Deaths for Memorial Day Weekend Travel Period (6 p.m. Friday–12 a.m. Tuesday):

• ·         On Saturday, May 26 at 6:13 a.m., a 32-year-old female driver was killed in Rock County on County Road 10. She was not buckled up and alcohol was involved.
• ·         Twelve hours later at 6:36 p.m. in Jackson County, a 34-year-old male motorcycle operator and his 38-year-old female passenger crashed on County Road 4. The passenger was killed and the operator died in the early morning of Wednesday, May 30.
• ·         On Monday, May 28 at 11 a.m. in Pope County, an 80-year-old female driver was killed at a crash at the intersection of Hwy. 29 and County Road 18.

“It was a sad and tragic start to the summer driving season and another reminder for all of us to drive attentively and with safety at top of mind,” says Donna Berger, director of the DPS Office of Traffic Safety.

 Click It or Ticket enhanced enforcement continues through June 3.