A Saturday morning ride along eastbound Interstate 94 turned into an emergency Saturday morning, after a motorcyclist lost control of his bike in the left lane and crashed into the median.
Mark F. Anderson, 59, Maple Grove was injured at around 9:15 a.m. when his bike slid into the ditch just north of the County Highway 37 overpass. He was airlifted by Life Link to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, where, according to a Minnesota State Patrol report, his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
The State Patrol is investigating why Anderson’s 2003 Honda Road Start left the roadway.
Traffic on I-94 was backed up for several miles as air care was called in by authorities on the scene. Albertville Fire and Rescue and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash and assisted at the accident site.
Authorities around Minnesota have reported higher-than-normal accident numbers for motorcycles this summer. As of late June, nearly 30 riders had died in traffic incidents this year, compared to 46 for all of 2014. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, alcohol, road construction and driver awareness have all been major factors in motorcycle crashes this spring and summer.
Authorities are asking drivers, particularly in crowded construction zones, to double check blind spots and be aware of following distances when sharing the roads with motorcyclists.