A decent snowfall followed by temperatures hovering around freezing made for tricky driving conditions overnight and into the morning commute Wednesday.
Statewide from 2 p.m. Tuesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday the State Patrol documented 277 crashes. Among those, there were two deaths and 31 people injured. Another 358 vehicles spun out or slid off the road, the patrol said.
In the far south metro early Wednesday, a semitrailer truck hauling ethanol rolled over before dawn on wet Hwy. 52 south of Hampton near 210th Street, according to the State Patrol. That stretch of highway in both directions was closed for much of the morning as cranes worked to remove the big rig.
A hazardous materials crews was on the scene assisting, the patrol said. There was no mention of anyone being injured.
Outside the metro, a semi succumbed early Wednesday to slush on Hwy. 169 in Le Sueur County and slid off the road, the patrol said. The driver was fine, but a passenger was injured.
In southeastern Minnesota shortly after 7:30 a.m., a car and a pickup collided on icy Interstate 90 in Olmsted County, according to the patrol. Injuries but no fatalities are being reported.
The Thanksgiving Day forecast from the National Weather Service is calling for a slight chance of rain and snow early in the afternoon and snow after that. The high could touch the mid-30s.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
