The State Patrol has identified the motorist killed in a crash on Hwy. 36 in Lake Elmo Tuesday as Robert J. Bursik of Amery, Wis.

Bursik, 54, was eastbound on Hwy. 36 and had stopped for a red light at Lake Elmo Avenue about 12:15 p.m. when a semitrailer truck crashed into his Toyota Scion, the State Patrol said.

Bursik was pronounced dead at the scene.

The truck driver, identified as Samuel Wayne Hicks, 28, of Independence, Wis., was not seriously hurt. He was wearing a seat belt and alcohol did not appear to play a role in the crash.

Authorities shut down the highway for about four hours. "It was very horrific and tragic," said Washington County Sheriff Dan Starry. "We send our prayers to the family."

Traffic volumes have increased along Hwy. 36 between Stillwater and Mahtomedi since the August 2017 opening of the St. Croix Crossing connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin. The biggest spike is during rush hour, Starry said.

Tim Harlow