Multi-vehicle crash on northbound Cedar Avenue causes travel headache this afternoon
EAGAN - Just after 2:30 PM on July 5, 2023, a multi-vehicle crash occurred on northbound Highway 77 (Cedar Avenue) just before the bridge over I-35E in Eagan, Minnesota. The crash resulted in major traffic delays on northbound Cedar Avenue as one car was left disabled in the middle lane of the highway just before the northbound exit onto I-35E towards St Paul, Minnesota.
Leading up to the multi-vehicle crash, northbound traffic on Cedar Avenue was being constricted from three lanes to two lanes, with the left lane being closed. Several signs alerted drivers of the upcoming work zone as far back as McAndrews Road which is about one mile away. Between the traffic merging from the closed left lane and traffic merging onto northbound Cedar Avenue from northbound I-35E in the right lane, congestion was building and traffic was stop-and-go in the area.
The crash involved a black Jeep, a silver car, and a black pickup truck. According to the Minnesota State Police, the preliminary investigation shows that a black jeep was going northbound on Cedar Avenue in the middle lane when it collided with the back of a silver car that was stopped in traffic in the middle lane of the highway. The Jeep then swerved to the left and stopped on the side of the road in the middle median. The momentum of the crash into the silver car sent the silver car into the back of a black pickup truck that was also stopped in traffic in the middle lane in front of it. The black pickup truck moved to the right side of the road and stopped there. The black Jeep eventually moved to the right shoulder, and the silver car remained disabled in the middle lane of northbound Cedar Avenue. Bystanders to the crash checked on all involved in the crash, and 911 was called. Four people and a pet were involved in the crash, thankfully no injuries were reported in any of the vehicles involved.
While emergency crews were on the scene checking on all involved and investigating the crash, two additional accidents almost occurred on southbound Cedar Avenue when people slowed to observe the crash in the northbound lanes.
The Minnesota State Patrol, Apple Valley Police Department, and MnDOT all responded to the accident. No medics were called to the scene. It is not known at this time if any citations were issued. The crash was cleared before 3:15 PM.
