Falcon Heights, MN (MinnesotaNow)—A motorcyclist was killed in a collision involving an SUV near the Minnesota State Fairgrounds late Thursday night.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the crash occurred around 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of Hwy. 51/Snelling Ave. and Garden Ave. The motorcyclist was traveling north when the SUV, turning left from southbound Snelling Ave. to eastbound Garden Ave., collided with the motorcycle.
Thirty-two-year-old Samuel Kelly Lewer of Coon Rapids was operating the motorcycle and was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger, 25-year-old Katie Jo Renelt of Scandia, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment.
The driver of the SUV, identified as 28-year-old Jessie Elizabeth Carlson of Roseville, was not injured. The state report noted that Lewer and Renelt were not wearing helmets, while Carlson was wearing a seatbelt. It remains unclear if alcohol was a factor in the crash.
The accident prompted emergency responders to close several lanes while the scene was investigated.