The Minnesota State Patrol and Wright County Sheriff’s Department are investigating another crash on snow stretches of Interstate 94 today after a crash shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, but this one doesn’t seem to be weather-related.
Instead, officers and investigators are wondering how a Wisconsin man got on the freeway heading the wrong direction.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol report, Patrick Schaekel, 64, of Mauston, Wisconsin was headed eastbound in the westbound lanes of the interstate when he caused a three-car crash near mile marker 182, west of Monticello, around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.
The initial report states that two semis collided, and then careened into a Speedy Delivery truck, as the front vehicles attempted to slow down and move aside for the wrong-way driver, who was headed eastbound in Dodge Ram 1500 pickup.
The collision caused a semi truck hauling a trailer to rear-end another semi truck and trailer, and then push the middle semi into the delivery truck.
Two men – both from out of state and both in the trailing semi – were transported to St. Cloud Hospital via Centra Care Ambulance. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.
The drivers of the other semi, the Speedy truck and the Ram pickup were not injured in the accident, which is still under investigation by the WCSO and MSP. 