Two Teens Die, Three Hurt in Crash

A second teenager has died as result of a single-vehicle crash near the Lakeville-Burnsville border Tuesday afternoon.

Alesha K. Roehl, 17, of Northfield was pronounced dead at 7:42 p.m. Tuesday at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, according to a Minnesota State Patrol media release.

Roehl was one of two passengers who were ejected from a 1992 Toyota Camry that lost control heading south on Buck Hill Road, rolled down the embankment and landed on the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 just north of County Road 46.

The other passenger thrown from the car, 16-year-old Frederick J. Alexander of Burnsville, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 2:29 p.m. crash.

In all, five teens were in the car when it crashed, according to the State Patrol. The driver of the car received minor injuries and was treated at Hennepin County Medical Center. The two other passengers also received minors injuries and were transportation to Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville.

KSTP is reporting that investigators believe speed played a factor in the crash.

Without mentioning his name, announced at the start of Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting that Alexander was a student at the and that the driver is a student. She said she was uncertain whether the other three passengers attended District 194 schools.

The meeting started shortly after 7 p.m., before Roehl’s death.

Snyder added that she received most of her information about the crash from media reports.

The west two lanes of I-35 near the crash scene were blocked for nearly three hours, lasting into rush hour. Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic cameras pictured backups on southbound I-35W well north of the Minnesota River bridge and on southbound I-35E north of the Burnsville split.

The State Patrol and Burnsville Police investigated the crash.