A motorist lost control of his vehicle in last week's blizzard-like conditions and spun out in the northbound lanes of the Lafayette Bridge in St. Paul.

After skidding to a stop on the shoulder, a Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic camera caught him getting out of his car, unaware of the danger behind him.

The driver dived toward the side of the bridge and nearly went over the side to avoid injury as a second vehicle lost control on the icy pavement and slid into his.

In south Minneapolis, MnDOT cameras caught the driver of an SUV involved in a multi-vehicle crash on I-35W standing in the middle lane checking out the damage as a semi passed on one side and traffic whizzed by on the other.

Motorists in crashes or spin outs or who simply stall out on a highway or freeway should stay in their vehicles with seat belts on until help arrives, said Lt. Gordon Shank with the Minnesota State Patrol.

"That adds a layer of protection," Shank said. "In winter, we have had the unfortunate situation where another driver slides by and hits them. If you are outside your car, you risk being run over, and injuries can be pretty significant."

After a motoring mishap, drivers should activate hazard lights, deploy flares if they have them, and call 911 or roadside assistance. Drivers should give dispatchers as much information as possible about their location, Shank said.

Drivers might think they need to exchange information at the crash site, but "that can wait," he said.

If there are no serious injuries and vehicles can be driven, motorists should move to the side of the road. Drivers also could exit a freeway or highway and relocate to a city street to get out of harm's way before trading insurance information, Shank said.

Troopers can investigate a crash even if vehicles have been moved from the scene, he said.

In one 24-hour period last week, troopers responded to more than 650 crashes statewide. With that many incidents, Shank said, "drivers need to be patient" waiting for help to come.

Free rides on New Year's Eve

A New Year's Eve tradition continues Saturday night with the Miller Lite Free Rides program.

All rides on Metro Transit buses and light-rail trains will be free from 6 p.m. through the end of service. The same is true of buses operated by the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority.

More than 1.6 million people in the Twin Cities area have received free rides since the program started 25 years ago. Molson Coors reimburses Metro Transit for rides provided during promotional events such as New Year's Eve and St. Patrick's Day.

"Our long standing partnership with Molson Coors helps ensure people celebrating at events throughout the year can get home safely," said Metro Transit General Manager Wes Kooistra. "We appreciate the ongoing support and look forward to serving our community again this New Year's Eve."