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State Patrol Warns Don't Stop For Ducklings On Highways

MOUNDS VIEW, Minn. (AP/WCCO) -- As unpopular as it may seem, the Minnesota State Patrol is advising motorists not to stop for wildlife that may have meandered onto a busy interstate.

The advice comes after drivers on Interstate 35 in the Twin Cities metro could be seen on transportation video stopping or swerving to avoid a duck leading a line of ducklings across the busy road.

About a dozen cars narrowly missed the line of ducks as they waddled across the interstate. Remarkably, the sudden swerving and stopping did not result in any crashes. State Patrol Lt. Tiffani Nielson says she knows the advice doesn't sit well with most people, but slamming the brakes could cause a chain-reaction crash.

If there occurred a crash which resulted in a death or serious injury due to a driver stopping for a duck or any other animal, that driver could potentially face a criminal charge.

The good news from out of all this is that those ducklings did make it across 35W safely, and in this case no motorists were injured.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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