A "merging conflict" triggered a fatal seven-vehicle crash Tuesday morning that had one side of a Twin Cities interstate closed into the afternoon, officials said.

The collision involving three semitrailer trucks, three SUVs and a car occurred about 10 a.m. on southbound I-35W near County Road I in Mounds View, the State Patrol said.

The southbound lanes remained closed until about 1:40 p.m. as the patrol collected evidence and had debris removed, state officials said.

A patrol statement explained that "a merging conflict ... caused a chain reaction" that entangled seven vehicles. The statement did not elaborate on what happened.

Killed in the crash was 67-year-old Kirby Kyle Schwarzkopf of Brooklyn Park, said the patrol.

Suffering noncritical injuries were two people in one SUV, two in another SUV and a semi driver, according to the patrol. Five others were unharmed.