At Least 5 Traffic Deaths Reported in Minnesota Since Saturday

Undated - (KROC-AM News)  - There have now been five traffic fatalities reported in Minnesota since Saturday.

The most recent fatal incident was reported around 5:45 Monday morning in Maplewood. The State Patrol says a 24-year-old man was killed when he was struck by an SUV on Highway 61 near the junction with Highway 36 in the St. Paul suburb.

The man killed in the collision has not been identified. The driver of the SUV, 30-year-old Jesup Studer of Maplewood, was not injured.

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A little over an hour earlier, a 39-year-old Hastings woman died after the car she was driving crashed into the back of a semi-truck at a high rate of speed on I-494 in South St. Paul. Her name has not been released. The State Patrol says the driver of the truck was not injured.

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The State Patrol also responded late Sunday night to a single-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a high school student in Minnetonka. The crash report indicates the 17-year-old boy from Corcoran was driving east on Highway 7 when his vehicle smashed into a utility pole and burst into flames shortly before 10:50 PM. The Orono School District today identified the victim as Lucas Knudson in a statement that described him as an outstanding student and athlete.

The two other fatal crashes occurred on Saturday. The Duluth Police Department reported that 19-year-old Tyriq Gordon of Duluth suffered fatal injuries when the vehicle he was driving went off a curve, rolled, and caught on fire. The fatal crash was reported around 1:15 AM.

The Morrison County Sheriff's Office says 64-year-old Robert Rothfork of Foley died after his vehicle crashed into a ditch along a rural road in the town of Hillman Saturday evening.

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