ST. PAUL, Minn. — When you hear sirens and see flashing lights, you might think you’re about to get pulled over.
But not all squad cars with sirens activated mean traffic trouble — sometimes it’s a dash to make a delivery.
Minnesota State Patrol troopers have many duties, including a very specific and unique one.
“We were dispatched for call for service to do a blood run,” said Trooper Deanna Wayne said.
Wayne was on a mission to get life-saving blood, specifically platelets from the Red Cross in St. Paul to a patient at a hospital in Morris.
Wayne and six others jumped into action forming a 170-mile relay from the metro to west central Minnesota.
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The call came in just after 8 a.m. on Jan. 25, that a patient needed platelets.
Matthew Fahning with the Red Cross says this collaboration with the Minnesota State Patrol is crucial, especially when smaller hospitals don’t have platelets on hand in a dire situation.