Crash at University and 57th Leaves One Injured

A two-vehicle crash temporarily blocked the intersection of University and 57th avenues NE Monday afternoon and left one person injured. 

The crash, involving a pickup truck and a commercial van, occured at about 1:30 p.m., according to Fridley Police Off. Jason Cardinal, who said the injured person suffered facial cuts.

It wasn't clear exactly what happened, Cardinal said. "We had two vehicles in the middle of the intersection," he said, adding that two witnesses had differing explanations of what occurred.

One witness, William Raines, said he was driving immediately behind the pickup truck southbound on University Avenue as he and the pickup driver tried to turn left onto 57th Avenue. The van, traveling northbound on University Avenue, "hit him hard," Raines said.

By 2 p.m. northbound University Avenue trafffic that had been temporarily diverted east onto 57th Avenue was flowing again, and both vehicles were loaded onto tow trucks.