A motorist traveling at a high speed rear-ended a semitrailer truck on eastbound Interstate 494 in Inver Grove Heights early Monday and died in the collision.
The victim, a 39-year-old woman from Hastings, crashed into the back of the semi about 4:25 a.m. near the 7th Avenue exit, the State Patrol said.
She died at the scene. Her name has not been released.
The truck driver, identified by the patrol as Corey Haug, 39, of Holmen, Wis., was not seriously injured, the patrol said.
Authorities shut down the freeway for about three hours as they carried out a crash reconstruction. During the closure, motorists were diverted off the road at 7th Avenue and directed to re-enter the freeway using the nearby 5th Avenue ramp.
The eastbound lanes reopened about 7:30 a.m.