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Deadly crashes on Highway 7 cut to zero
The amount of fatal crashes on Highway 7 has been cut down to zero. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni explains why.
(FOX 9) - Police efforts to reduce deadly crashes on Highway 7 from St. Louis Park to St. Bonifacius are showing promising results, with stepped-up enforcement using AI technology credited with helping eliminate deaths on the road in 2025.
Police use AI technology to catch violators, reduce fatalities
What we know:
The South Lake Minnetonka Police Department and neighboring law enforcement agencies have been using a large orange trailer equipped with AI to detect distracted drivers and those not wearing seatbelts. The technology captures photos of violations and sends them to officers within seconds.
In addition, police launched a social media campaign and enlisted high school students to produce public service announcements about traffic safety.
In the past year, officers made over 1,500 stops for these violations, marking a 300% increase from the previous year.
What they're saying:
Sgt. Adam Moore of the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department noted: "We can actually see the phone in the hand, and that’s the key so that we know that we’re making a good stop."
"It’s harder to find a speeding driver as we’re enforcing it," he said. "We don’t see distracted drivers as much as we were before. So, we certainly are seeing those impacts every day."
Deadly Highway 7 crashes eliminated in 2025
By the numbers:
Five people died in crashes along Highway 7 in 2024, police said. But there were no fatalities on that stretch of road last year. (The highway historically averaged one or two deadly crashes each year, police said.) In addition, serious-injury crashes also decreased by half, dropping from an average of six per year to three.
The Highway 7 Safety Coalition, which includes more than a half-dozen law enforcement agencies from St. Louis Park to Minnetrista, is working to secure more funding after the initial $451,000 grant ran out in June.
What's next:
Moore said he is hopeful that additional funding to continue increased enforcement is imminent.