St. Michael Parish member, mother and wife Holly Hoglund Klein was identified by several sources Tuesday afternoon as the driver killed in a multiple-car accident on Interstate 94 near Silver Creek/Hasty that shut down the freeway for more than two hours during the height of a winter storm.
St. Michael Catholic School Principal Jennifer Haller sent out an information e-mail to parents and staff alerting them to the tragic loss. Klein’s three children, Gabriel, Devin and Elle, are all former students of the school. The family now lives in Maple Grove.
UPDATE: St. Michael Catholic Church held its 6:30 p.m. Mass Tuesday, March 3 in remembrance of Holly Klein.
St. Thomas Academy students and staff are also grieving. Assistant Principal Michael Sjoberg told students and staff of the death this afternoon. Holly Klein’s husband, Tom, is a teacher and basketball coach at the Mendota Heights school. Tom confirmed his wife’s loss on the North Wright County Today Facebook page this afternoon, as well.
Minnesota State Patrol reports the incident occurred near mile marker 182 on the Interstate 94 westbound lanes around 9:45 a.m. as heavy snow hit the area and caused snowpack and ice to build on the roadway.
An initial report filed by the MSP indicates several vehicles had slowed down for conditions, and for cars that were spinning out and off of the roadway, when they were struck by a Kenworth Semi Tractor and trailer that could not reduce speed, sending several cars into a chain-reaction collision.
MSP has identified six other vehicles – a 1997 Chevrolet Impala, a 2013 Buick Enclave, a 2005 Chevy MX, a 2010 Toyota Camry, a 2013 Toyota Highlander and a 2013 Dodge Ram – as those involved in the pile-up.
Interstate 94 was closed in both directions from about 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday after storm conditions created treacherous roads. MSP public information officers reported more than 50 crashes and spin-outs along the roadway.