2 Hurt After Driver Hits Stall on Interstate Shoulder

Two people were hospitalized after a vehicle parked on the shoulder of I-35W was struck by another driver.

Authorities said the Jeep, driven by 40-year-old Ryan Patrick Tyler, of Shakopee, was southbound when he crossed over the lane line and collided with the Lincoln. The road surface was reported as dry at the time of the crash.

The Lincoln was driven by 67-year-old Deborah Renee Nepple, of Minneapolis, who suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center. A passenger in the Lincoln, 86-year-old Robert Ernest Nepple, also of Minneapolis, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was also taken to HCMC for treatment. According to the State Patrol, he was not wearing a seat belt.

Tyler was not injured in the crash. Authorities confirmed that alcohol was not a factor and that all airbags deployed in both vehicles. The interstate was closed for a brief period while crash reconstruction was performed.