Four people were injured Saturday on Interstate 35 just south of the cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 90 as a result of what began as a simple lane change.

A 2007 Chevy Impala and a 2006 Pontiac G6 were southbound on I-35. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the Impala driver attempted a lane change. The driver of the G6 swerved and lost control, going through the median and striking a 2005 Honda Accord in the northbound lanes.

The crash, which happened at about 10:50 a.m., required the State Patrol to close I-35 for about an hour. The Albert Lea Police Department and the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office assisted the state troopers.

The State Patrol listed the driver of the Accord as sustaining a serious injury. She was Regina G. Holmes, 28, of Urbandale, Iowa. Her passenger, Dex G. Wright, 37, of Clive, Iowa, also sustained a serious injury.

The driver of the G6, Heather A. Trimble, 24, of Minneapolis, received a minor injury, according to the State Patrol, and her passenger, Jesse K. Amundson, 26, of Columbia Heights, also had a minor injury.

The driver of the Impala was Robert B. Greene, 66, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and his passenger was Madonna M. Greene, 66, also of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The State Patrol indicated they were not injured.

All motorists were wearing their seat belts, according to the State Patrol report. No alcohol was involved. It said airbags deployed in the Accord. The report said damage to the Accord and G6 was severe, and they were towed to Allen’s Tow-N-Travel in Albert Lea. There was no damage to the Impala.

The short stretch of I-35 between Main Street in Albert Lea and the I-90 cloverleaf is the busiest section of roadway in Freeborn County, with a 2011 traffic count averaging 25,500 automobiles per day.