One person was killed Saturday night in a fiery one-vehicle crash at a new Metro Transit station at northbound Interstate 35W and Lake Street.
State patrol initially reported two deaths, but officials confirmed Sunday that the driver was the only occupant of the vehicle who died in the crash. No other injuries were reported.
A witness said that about 8 p.m., the car went up the bus exit from northbound 35W, smashed into the station and caught fire, as did the shelter. Minneapolis firefighters extinguished the crash, and the station appeared to suffer minimal damage.
By 8:15 p.m., the fire was out, and traffic, which had slowed dramatically for a time, was back to normal. The HOV lane remained closed Saturday night as investigators did their work.
No details were immediately available about the deceased.
The new Metro Transit center, at Lake Street right below the interstate, had been scheduled to open Monday.
On Sunday, Metro Transit announced that a media event Monday unveiling the new bus shelter is postponed "out of respect for the life lost in a collision at the station last night, and as the MN State Patrol continues to investigate."
The station is part of the Minnesota Department of Transportation's yearslong, $240 million Crosstown to Downtown project that finished construction last month. Service updates can be found at http://metrotransit.org.
Reid Forgrave • 612-673-4647
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