St. Cloud State President Earl Potter, 69, killed in I-694 rollover crash in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

According to the State Patrol, Potter, 69, was driving eastbound on I-694 in Brooklyn Center around 5:35 p.m. when his Toyota 4 Runner went off the road and struck a guardrail. Potter overcorrected into the center lane and nearly hit another vehicle before flipping multiple times before hitting cable median barriers and coming to a stop.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Chancellor Steven Rosenstone said in a statement early Tuesday that Potter died Monday evening in a crash as he drove to the Twin Cities for a foundation board meeting. University spokesman Loren Boone confirmed Potter's death.

“Earl’s passing is a huge loss to SCSU, to the state of Minnesota, and to higher education,” said Steven J. Rosenstone, Chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in the release on the website and on the university’s Facebook page. “His leadership, on so many fronts, will be missed. Earl was a colleague and a friend – a thoughtful, insightful leader – who cared deeply about the university, its students, and the St. Cloud community. I know he was deeply respected on your campus, as well, and my condolences go out to you all.”

“He never forgot to stop and thank everyone for their work and effort they put in to better the university, and that’s all he ever really wanted was to make this a great experience for all students,” said student government President Mikaela Johnson.