Pedestrian Fatally Struck After Standing in Roadway

Mar 29, 2025

*Traffic cameras show MnDOT trucks blocking the roadway near the scene of a fatal crash Friday morning near Shakopee.* ***via MnDOT***

A pedestrian was fatally struck on a highway near Shakopee early Friday morning while standing in a traffic lane.

The Minnesota State Patrol says the man was struck by a driver who was attempting to avoid a stalled vehicle on the shoulder.

The incident occurred around 6 a.m. Friday, March 28, on southbound Highway 169 near Old Brickyard Road in Jackson Township.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the driver of a 2011 Toyota Rav4 was in the right-hand lane when she noticed a disabled and stalled Nissan Maxima on the shoulder. The driver of the Toyota, a 45-year-old woman from Jordan, maneuvered into the left lane to avoid the stalled vehicle.

As the driver entered the left lane, the vehicle struck a pedestrian who was standing in the roadway. The pedestrian, 25-year-old Firaol Abebe Merbratu, of Marshall, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

The driver and passenger of the vehicle were uninjured, both were wearing seat belts and no impairment was reported. The incident remains under investigation by the Minnesota State Patrol.

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