Luis Tipantuna : “Alcohol Involved in Fatal Crash: MN State Patrol”

Arden Hills, MN (KROC-AM News) – The State Patrol has reported that alcohol was a contributing factor in a fatal multi-vehicle crash on a Twin Cities freeway this morning.

Tragic Crash on I-694 Claims at Least One Life

The devastating crash occurred at approximately 8:45 AM on westbound I-694 at the Snelling Avenue interchange in Arden Hills. The accident involved a car, a minivan, and a semi-truck.

According to the preliminary investigation conducted by the State Patrol, the minivan was traveling west on I-694 when it suddenly swerved from the right lane to the left shoulder. The minivan then spun out just as a car was entering the freeway from Snelling Avenue. The minivan veered through the ditch and collided with the westbound car.

The impact of the collision caused the car to slide sideways onto the left lane of I-694, directly into the path of an oncoming semi-truck. The semi-truck struck the driver’s side of the car with tremendous force.

The victims in the car have been identified as a 76-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman from New Brighton. At this time, the State Patrol has not released their names, leaving the possibility that both individuals suffered fatal injuries.

The driver of the minivan has been identified as 31-year-old Luis Tipantuna of Minneapolis. He was transported to Regions Hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening. The State Patrol’s report on Tipantuna indicates that alcohol was a contributing factor to the crash.

The driver of the semi-truck, 68-year-old Steve Silva of Washington state, was also transported to the hospital. Fortunately, his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Examining Minnesota’s License Plate Evolution

In other Minnesota news, let’s take a nostalgic trip back in time and explore the evolution of Minnesota’s license plates since 1909.

See How Minnesota’s License Plates Have Evolved Since 1909

Nothing beats a nostalgia trip. It’s always fun to see how things looked the year you were born and how much they’ve changed throughout the years.

Minnesota’s license plates have certainly gone through many evolutions. The first “license plate” was actually a rectangular black leather automobile license tag with a brass number ‘1’ on the center front. It was issued by the State Boiler Inspector in the State of Minnesota in 1903.

The first Minnesota license plate as we know it was issued in 1909. Let’s take a look at that license plate and then all the plates that followed, along with some interesting Wikipedia knowledge as we go.

We’ve certainly come a long way, but it’s also interesting that the now popular blackout plates have been around before.

Gallery Credit: David Drew

For more Minnesota news, visit Minnesota Now.

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