The State Patrol reports that there were 88 crashes and 16 traffic-related injuries around Minnesota overnight, but no fatalities. This is the third consecutive year that there have not been any fatalities on New Year's Eve in Minnesota.

The Minnesota State Patrol says it has impounded a car in Koochiching County with an unusual alternative fuel source. A trooper spokesperson says the driver of a rusted out Ford Pinto had a gas can on the front seat with a hose that ran out the passenger window, around the front and under the hood, which was "rigged up to the engine."

The Crown Vic has been a State Patrol favorite for the past 30 years, but Ford has officially stopped making the model. Older squad cars will to be replaced with Ford's new Police Interceptor starting in May.

The Associated Press reports the extra patrols start Monday in the ten counties with the highest number of unbelted deaths and injuries. More than 850 unbelted deaths and injuries were reported between 2007 and 2009.

An investigator told KFGO radio, the 18-year-old driver was traveling 78 miles-per-hour when she lost control and collided with an oncoming SUV near Alexandria in February. The State Patrol says winter weather was also a factor in the fatal crash that killed the four young women from the Twin Cities area.

The State Patrol decided to retire its fleet of motorcycles "due to increased training costs, a concern for trooper safety, and a lack of troopers interested in volunteering for the unit." The first bike will be sold at a live auction Saturday, April 21 and the rest will be sold the following week.