Driver dies after striking tree in south Minneapolis

Drugs and vehicle's speed might have been factors in south Minneapolis crash.

December 12, 2020 at 12:52AM
A sport utility-type vehicle was involved in a crash Friday morning near the intersection E. 45th Street and Cedar Avenue S. ikn Minneapolis. (Minneapolis Police Department/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A man believed to be in his 30s died Friday morning after his vehicle struck a tree in south Minneapolis.

The driver was not breathing and did not have a pulse when officers found him just before 5 a.m. inside a sport utility­-type vehicle that had come to rest near E. 45th Street and S. Cedar Avenue, said police spokesman John Elder.

Officers performed CPR until paramedics arrived and took the man to a hospital. The man died a short time later, Elder said.

The man, whose name has not been released, was believed to have been the only person in the vehicle, Elder said.

A preliminary investigation revealed that speeding and drugs may have been factors contributing to the crash, which remains under investigation.

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768

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about the writer

Tim Harlow

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Tim Harlow covers traffic and transportation issues in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and likes to get out of the office, even during rush hour. He also covers the suburbs in northern Hennepin and all of Anoka counties, plus breaking news and weather.

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