Silver Creek Township, MN — June 18, 2025, two people were injured following a scissor lift versus car accident around 4:00 p.m. along Highway 61.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported that the crash happened in the area of the Lafayette Bluff Tunnel northeast of Two Harbors.

According to officials, a vehicle was traveling through a construction zone at the time. Somehow, that vehicle made contact with a scissor lift. This reportedly resulted in both the driver of the vehicle and the construction worker operating the lift to have serious injuries.

EMS transported the victims to the hospital. There were no other confirmed injuries. Additional details about the crash are unavailable at this time.

Commentary

In my experience, a crash involving construction zones can present unique challenges beyond typical car accident investigations. On top of things like possible driver attention, fatigue, speeding, and intoxication, investigators have to consider the conditions potentially surrounding the construction vehicle.

Was the construction area marked properly? Was the scissor lift driving into or hanging over lanes of travel? Was the worker properly trained and supervised? Was there a lack of traffic control leading up to the construction zone?

Having an area with some orange cones doesn't give a construction team a blank check to behave however they want to. They, too, have basic responsibilities they're expected to meet, and it's just as important to investigate their actions as it is a driver's.

Generally speaking, authorities are inconsistent when it comes to digging below the surface in your typical everyday car accidents. Sometimes, they'll see crashes like this as a higher priority and give them more attention. Other times, though, they'll be even less equipped to properly investigate things, and important details might slip through the cracks unless there's another set of hands there to pick up the slack.

That's why crashes like this are generally better off in the hands of professional independent accident reconstructionists. Their priority is to gather evidence, and their focus is on providing the time, tools, and experience necessary to do so. Even if those efforts ultimately align with everything the police uncover on their own, victims and families deserve to feel confident they're going to get the answers they need.