State Patrol says don’t stop for ducks on interstate

Published 9:35 am Friday, July 24, 2015

MOUNDS VIEW — As unpopular as it may seem, the Minnesota State Patrol is advising motorists not to stop for wildlife that may have meandered onto a busy interstate.

The advice comes after drivers on I-35 in the Twin Cities metro could be seen on transportation video stopping or swerving to avoid a duck leading a line of ducklings across the busy road.

About a dozen cars narrowly missed the line of ducks as they waddled across the interstate. Remarkably, the sudden swerving and stopping did not result in any crashes. State Patrol Lt. Tiffani Nielson said she knows the advice doesn’t sit well with most people, but the risk of a crash is too high.

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Nielson said in a press release that if there’s a crash that causes a fatal or serious injury, the driver could face criminal charges.