Photo submitted by NDHP

CLEVELAND, N.D. (NDHP) – At approximately 1:50 am on December 24th, a NDHP patrol vehicle was struck eastbound on I-94 near MM 236, two miles west of Cleveland, ND, in Stutsman County. The patrol vehicle was a 2021 Ford Utility Police Interceptor (Explorer.)

The NDHP Trooper was investigating a crash in the median involving two commercial motor vehicles at the above location. The trooper was parked on the inside (median) shoulder with emergency lights flashing, providing traffic control as lane one (passing lane) of the eastbound roadway was blocked from the crash.

The trooper had exited his vehicle when a third commercial motor vehicle (CMV) approached, jack knifed and struck the patrol vehicle. The patrol vehicle was pushed into the median, where it became disabled. The CMV overturned and came to rest in the south ditch.

No individuals were injured in any of these crashes. The NDHP trooper was not struck during the incident.

The Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office, Medina Ambulance, Medina Fire Department, Jamestown Ambulance and NDDOT responded to assist at this incident.

Rain had fallen and the roadway had a thin layer of ice built up. The CMV’s were all traveling too fast for conditions, which was the contributing factor in the incident.

The crashes remain under investigation. Eastbound I-94 was closed for approximately two hours during the incident. All three CMV’s remain in the ditch on scene, as it is unsafe to remove them at this time.