DPS: 167 People Died On Minnesota Roads This Summer

(KNSI) – Preliminary data from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety shows 167 people were killed in traffic accidents between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The DPS says the figures show an ongoing traffic safety crisis in Minnesota. Safety officials say the 100 days between the Holidays are considered the most traveled days of the year. Data shows of the 167 fatalities, 47 were speed-related, 29 were unbelted motorists, seven were caused by distracted driving, and 35 were alcohol-related.

Preliminary numbers from the DPS show 321 fatalities on Minnesota roads in 2021 compared with 256 reported this time last year. The 321 deaths is a 25 percent increase over last year and a 30 percent increase over 2019, with 246 deaths reported at that time.

“We’re grateful most Minnesotans understand that driving is a serious activity and requires their commitment to safety every single time they’re on the road,” said Mike Hanson, Office of Traffic Safety director. “What’s so disheartening is when the pandemic hit, an increase in dangerous driving choices by other Minnesotans soon followed. Those choices are continuing to plague our roads a year and a half later. Speeding is contributing to so much tragedy, and the summer was no exception. Talk to your family and friends about safe driving choices. Model that behavior. We all can make those simple decisions to drive smart and live.”

Recent Fatalities Include:

A 38-year-old male driving in Hennepin County died from his injuries when his car veered off the roadway, hit mailboxes, and then he over-corrected and crashed head-on into a semi.

A 19-year-old male driver, negotiating a curve while speeding, lost control of his pickup on a Fillmore County road, slid, and rolled into a ditch. He died at the scene.

A 34-year-old male driver, exceeding the speed limit and texting, was killed when he drove his pickup off a curve of a Clearwater County road and rolled, hitting a culvert.

A 29-year-old male driver was killed when he ran off an Otter Tail County road, drove down a steep embankment and hit a tree.

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