Minnesota Sees 14 Traffic Fatalities in Just 8 Days

Hutchinson, MN (KROC-AM News) - There have now been at least 14 traffic deaths in Minnesota in just over a week.

Two deadly crashes reported on Saturday contributed to the grim list. The most recent involved a motorcycle and occurred shortly after 6 PM in Hutchinson.

State Patrol Reports Two More Fatal Crashes Saturday

The State Patrol says the victim was an 80-year-old Hutchinson man who was driving a motorcycle west on Highway 7 when he collided with a westbound pickup. His name has not been released.

Google

The driver of the pickup, 82-year-old Alan Hoff of Fergus Falls, was not injured. His passenger, 77-year-old Patricia Hoff of Fergus Falls, was transported to the Hutchinson hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

ALSO SEE: Three Rochester Residents Hurt in I-35 Crash Near Hinckley

The other fatal crash on Saturday occurred around 3:20 PM at a rural intersection in western Minnesota. The State Patrol says the deadly collision involved a pickup truck traveling west on Highway 67, about 20 miles north of Marshall, and a car headed north on an intersecting county road.

Google

A 45-year-old woman from Granite Falls was driving the car, while a 60-year-old man from Elk River was behind the wheel of the pickup. He had three passengers - all women, ages 31, 33, and 83 - from Clearwater and Maple Lake.

Get our free mobile app

The State Patrol has not released any of their names or information about their injuries, but the preliminary crash report indicates there was at least one fatality.

10 Other Traffic Deaths Reported Since Last Friday

ALSO SEE: Fatal Motorcycle and Pickup Collision in Wabasha County

There was also a fatal motorcycle crash in Wabasha County on Friday and a fatal hit-and-run incident in Duluth on Thursday. Prior to that, 10 traffic fatalities had already been reported throughout Minnesota since last Friday.

More Minnesota News:

See How Minnesota's License Plates Have Evolved Since 1909

Nothing beats a nostalgia trip. It's always fun to see how things looked the year you were born and how much they've changed throughout the years.

Minnesota's license plates have certainly gone through many evolutions. The first "license plate" was actually a rectangular black leather automobile license tag with a brass number '1' on the center front. It was issued by the State Boiler Inspector in the State of Minnesota in 1903.

The first Minnesota license plate as we know it was issued in 1909. Let's take a look at that license plate and then all the plates that followed, along with some interesting Wikipedia knowledge as we go.

We've certainly come a long way, but it's also interesting that the now popular blackout plates have been around before.

Gallery Credit: David Drew

13 Things You Never Knew That Were Invented in Minnesota

There are a handful of things that most Minnesotans know were invented in the state, like SPAM or Post-It notes, but did you know grocery bags with handles is a Minnesota invention? Let's take a look at some other little known Minnesota inventions.

Gallery Credit: Tony Hart