Waconia crash spills nails, shuts down Highway 5

Highway 5 in Waconia, Minnesota was shut down Friday morning after a Porsche rear-ended a handyman-style truck carrying construction equipment, spilling nails all over the roadway.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the 2003 Porsche Boxster was traveling at a high rate of speed when it rear-ended the truck, pushing it into a ditch. The driver, a 48-year-old man from Plymouth, suffered serious injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital. The driver of the carpentry truck suffered minor injuries.

According to a search warrant affidavit filed Friday, crash investigators believe the driver of the Porsche was under the influence of a controlled substance. The driver was seen entering a Subway sandwich shop wearing only a white hotel bathrobe. He asked the owner of the Subway to microwave his laptop and was acting “crazed and frantic.” The man said he was “being framed” before he ran out the door and back to his car.

The driver sped off in his Porsche and caused several other drivers to call 911 as he was speeding at an estimated 100 mph and “nearly killing people” with his driving conduct. He then rear-ended the pickup truck that was traveling at normal highway speeds.

The crash happened just before 7 a.m. on Highway 5 near County Road 92. Highway 5 was shut down in both directions, and reopened by 11:30 a.m., according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.