Tow truck crashes off I-35 near Duluth, driver hospitalized

A Freightliner tow truck crashed off northbound Interstate 35 near Midway Road in Duluth and went through the guardrail before dropping down the embankment, leaving one driver injured on a corridor that carries heavy commuter and freight traffic.

The Minnesota State Patrol logged the crash as Case No. 26270839, an injury crash in District 2700 at 10:24 a.m. on April 14, 2026. The single-vehicle wreck happened on northbound I-35 near Midway Road, where the tow truck left the interstate and came to a stop after crossing the roadside barrier.

The driver was a Grand Rapids man who was recovering after the crash. The sequence is stark: a commercial tow truck traveling north on one of Duluth’s main travel corridors lost control, breached the guardrail and slid down the embankment before emergency crews reached the scene. For a road that serves both local traffic and regional freight movement, a wreck like this immediately raises the stakes for everyone moving through the area.

The crash also landed on a stretch of freeway where MnDOT had already scheduled guardrail repairs. The department announced work on southbound I-35 near Midway Road for April 13 and 14, with lane closures and daytime closure of the Midway Road on-ramp. That maintenance underscored how closely the state is watching roadside safety on this part of the interstate, where even a short disruption can affect traffic flow and emergency response.

State transportation officials have also pointed to bigger investments along the Duluth corridor. MnDOT’s I-35 bridge rehabilitation project between Mesaba Ave and 21st Ave East is a $13 million effort designed to improve load-carrying capacity and extend the service life of the bridge. Farther into the regional freight network, the I-35, I-535 and Hwy 53 Twin Ports Interchange carries about 80,000 vehicles each day, including roughly 5,320 heavy commercial vehicles.

That traffic load is why a tow truck crash on I-35 near Midway Road matters beyond one driver’s injury. In a city where highway, bridge and interchange projects are already a regular part of life, the wreck was another reminder that the Northland’s busiest routes remain vulnerable to sudden, high-consequence incidents.