No injuries were sustained in the fiery crash.
It can be frightening to get into an accident on the highway. It can be difficult to find a safe spot to wait for help due the narrow shoulders and high speeds. You should not leave your vehicle unattended on the side of the road. After hitting a deer in Minnesota this is what one driver did. A dramatic video shows the results.
This video is from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The video was uploaded to the MN Crime YouTube Channel. It shows a red Chevy silverado parked in the middle Interstate 35, near Forest Lake, just outside Minneapolis. Two semis are approaching it. The semi with the Gulf Livery colors on the outside lane heads for the exit while the semi next to it continues to careen toward the abandoned pickup.
As it approaches the Chevy semi truck, the semi truck does not swerve or slow down. It collides into the rear of the vehicle. The semi crushes the truck and causes it to fold and crumble, sending it swerving off the highway. The impact was so strong that the Chevy burst into flames when it spun off of the road. It was also struck by a semi truck, which skidded off of the road and stopped on the grassy median near the highway exit.
According to Lt. Gordon Shank, Minnesota State Patrol, no one was hurt in the accident. Susan Norberg (the driver of the red Chevy) told the Star Tribune that she had abandoned her vehicle after hitting a deer. The force of the impact was so strong that the airbags were released, filling the cabin with smoke and making it difficult to open the doors. After being freed, she was able to find safety behind a guardrail.
Shank didn’t give any explanations as to why the semi-truck driver couldn’t avoid hitting the red Chevy. Other vehicles were able. Shank told the Star Tribune, however, that police had recommended safe driving habits and a quiet cabin. The Star Tribune did not report whether police issued tickets for the accident.