A fatal Burnsville rollover apparently caused by speeding claimed the lives of two teens and injured three others Tuesday.
The car was going south on Buck Hill Road about 2:30 p.m. when it lost control, rolled several times down an embankment and landed in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35. The 1992 Toyota Camry had five occupants, including a 17-year-old Lakeville boy driving. According to witnesses, the car appeared to have been speeding and swerving back and forth.
The crash killed passengers Frederick J. Alexander, 16, of Burnsville, and Alesha K. Roehl, 17, of Northfield. Alexander was declared dead at the scene. Roehl died later in the evening at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Both were ejected and not wearing seat belts at the time.
Two other passengers, both 16-year-old boys, suffered minor injuries and were taken to HCMC. The driver was treated at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville for minor injuries.
The crash should serve as a sad warning to other teen drivers, said Lt. Eric Roeske of the State Patrol. "It illustrates that driving is a huge responsibility and has to be taken seriously, especially by young drivers," Roeske said.
The crash was the second fatal accident to kill a group of teenagers in a month. On July 30, three boys were killed and one was injured when the SUV they were in slammed into the back of a semitrailer truck stopped on eastbound Interstate 94 near Hudson, Wis. The boys had been trying to catch the eye of a girl who had driven by.
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, traffic crashes are the No. 1 killer of Minnesota teens. Each year more than 30 teens between 16 to 19 die on state roads.
JIM ADAMS AND NICOLE NORFLEET
