Lane Splitting Motorcyclist Dies in Crash on Minnesota Interstate

Lakeville, MN (KROC-AM News)- A motorcyclist performing a traffic maneuver that was recently addressed by the state legislature lost his life in a crash on a Minnesota interstate Thursday night.

See Also: Twin Cities Motorcycle Crash Leads to 11th Death in 7 Days on Minnesota's Roads

That’s according to the State Patrol. The deadly crash occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Interstate 35 near Scott County Rd. 29 in the Lakeville area.

20-year-old Cooper Russell Bertram of Elko was identified as the motorcyclist. He died from his injuries at the scene.

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Bertram was driving his motorcycle south on I-35 and was performing a lane split when he smashed into the back of a southbound SUV, the state crash report says.

The collision sent the SUV into the right-hand ditch and the motorcycle came to rest on the left shoulder.

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43-year-old Bashu Dev Khanal of Colorado was driving the SUV. He and his passenger, identified as 24-year-old Gagandeep Singh, were treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries.

They were both bucked up, the state report says.

photo by Andy Brownell

Bertram was wearing a helmet and it's unknown if alcohol was involved in the fatality, the State Patrol says. He is one of at least 11 people to die in a traffic crash in Minnesota in the past week.

Earlier this year, the Minnesota legislature passed a bill to legalize lane splitting in the state.

The new law allowing motorcycle operators to navigate between lanes of stopped or slowed traffic at low speeds takes effect in July of 2025.