MINNEAPOLIS — Two people were killed in a fiery crash inside the treacherous 1,500-foot Lowry Hill Tunnel on Interstate 94 tunnel near downtown. The State Patrol said the car, a westbound BMW, was speeding. The car struck a concrete median wall and spun out. The fuel tank ruptured and the car burst into flames. Engulfed in flames, the car skidded to a stop as the tunnel filled with smoke. The driver, Demetrius Hart, 24, of Minneapolis, suffered life-threatening injuries. Killed were Lucas Martell James Jr., 34, and Denver Smith Jr., 31, both of Minneapolis. The State Patrol hoped that the tunnel could be reopened for Monday morning commuters.
Surveillance video. Outside the tunnel and inside.
Dog-leg turn
Lowry Hill Tunnel, which opened in 1971, is under Hennepin and Lyndale avenues and several I-94 surface ramps. The tunnel has a near-right-angle turn, which forces three lanes of traffic in each direction to slow down. The speed limit: 35 mph.