It was a tough morning for commuters and police Thursday on Interstate 494 in Plymouth. Two crashes snarled traffic, including one involving a motorist hitting a police squad car.
The first crash occurred just after 5 a.m. when a driver struck a deer.
About 90 minutes later, a collision sent one car into the median and through the cable wire.
Authorities shut down some lanes on each side of the north-south freeway. As police worked to clear the scene, a driver smacked into a Plymouth police car.
"There was property damage, but no injuries," a Hennepin County dispatcher said.
Traffic was backed up to the Fish Lake interchange for about an hour. The lanes reopened about 7:30 a.m.
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