A 17-year-old driver died before dawn Friday in a single-vehicle crash on a south metro interstate, according to authorities.
The wreck occurred about 4 a.m. on westbound I-494 near Pilot Knob Road in Mendota Heights, the State Patrol said.
The driver was identified by the patrol as Naejiana Derajai Smith, of Oakdale.
The right and center lanes were closed for about 2 hours as emergency personnel cleared the scene, the patrol said.
The driver, from Oakdale, left the interstate to the right into a ditch, hit a guardrail and then a pole, according to the patrol.
PAUL WALSH
