Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota sees nation's sharpest car insurance hikes
Car insurance rates skyrocket in MN
Car insurance rates in Minnesota jumped 55 percent over the last year, a dramatic hike higher than those in every other state, according to a report by insurance website Insurify.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Car insurance rates in Minnesota jumped 55 percent over the last year, a dramatic hike higher than those in every other state, according to a report by insurance website Insurify.
The rise is nearly twice the national average, which was 28 percent, according to the report. The average annual cost of full coverage is $2,315, up from $1,492. The report measured a period between June 2023 and June 2024.
The report blamed severe weather for the surge in rates, pointing out the hailstorms in August 2023 that dropped golf- and baseball-size hail on the Twin Cities. Those storms caused 1.8 billion worth of damage, the report said. The uptick in claims cost the insurance companies, which then pass the cost to consumers.
But Andrew Whitman, a former deputy insurance commissioner and professor at the University of Minnesota, said drivers also share the blame.
“People are driving way over the speed limit, and when they crash it totals the car,” he said.
Only one other state, Missouri, saw a spike of more than 50 percent.
Whitman said consumers have more options than in years past if they want to switch carriers. He also noted that insurers don’t raise rates higher than necessary to avoid losing business.
“They can go to the market on the web in a way that they couldn’t do a few years ago, and that creates competition,” he said. “The insurance companies are not going to increase their premiums any more than they have to because they want to keep their market.”
Another way to save money, he said, is to keep your car, since insuring a new one is always more expensive.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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