2 Dead, 3 Injured After Vehicle Crashes into Park Tavern Patio in St. Louis Park
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St. Louis Park Police say two people are dead and three others are injured after a driver plowed into the outdoor patio area of Park Tavern Sunday night.
The incident occurred shortly after 8 p.m. when emergency personnel responded to reports of a car crashing into the popular bar and grill's patio.
According to surveillance footage, the male driver entered the parking lot of Park Tavern, attempted to park, and then accelerated into the outdoor seating area, striking several individuals.
via Hennepin County Jail
The driver has been taken into custody on suspicion of criminal vehicular homicide. The identities of the victims and the driver have not yet been officially released. The three injured individuals were transported to local hospitals. Their conditions have not been disclosed.
The Minnesota State Patrol is on scene conducting an accident reconstruction to determine the events leading up to the crash. Several other agencies, including the Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Wayzata police departments, along with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, are assisting with the investigation.
UPDATE 9/2 9 a.m.: Hennepin County Jail records show 56-year-old Steven Frane Bailey is being held on probable cause criminal vehicular homicide charges by St. Louis Park Police. No court date has been set at this time.
Court records show Bailey has two previous DWIs from 2013 and 2014. In 2014, he was also charged with having a cancelled driver’s license, but it’s unclear what his driving status was at the time of this crash.
This is an ongoing investigation, and additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (952) 924-2618.
UPDATE 9/2 8 p.m.: GoFundMe accounts have identified the two individuals who died and three of the individuals injured after a driver crashed through the outdoor patio of a popular St. Louis Park business.
One account identifies Kristina Folkerts as one of the victims who died, saying she was a "loving mother of 3 young girls and friend to many in the community."
The other GoFundMe account is for Gabe Harvey, the second victim killed. He was a Health Unit Coordinator at Methodist Hospital and described as someone who "always had a smile and a kind word for everyone" and "left an impression on everyone he met."
Laura Knutson was one of the victims identified in a GoFundMe page. Knutson was an ICU nurse at Methodist Hospital. She was out celebrating her last shift before starting CRNA school this week. The GoFundMe says, “Laura is a brilliant and funny ICU nurse who goes above and beyond for her patients, friends, and family.”
Tegan D'Albani is one of the victims seriously hurt. The GoFundMe says she was celebrating her friend Laura's last shift as a nurse at Methodist Hospital before she started CRNA school. D'Albani suffered extensive fractures throughout her body.
Theo Larson is another victim seriously injured while out celebrating Laura's last shift. Larson is also an employee at Methodist Hospital. The GoFundMe states Larson suffered multiple skull fractures, facial fractures, and orbital fractures. He is recently married.
As of 10:00 p.m. Monday, the GoFundMe’s have raised over $125,000 combined.
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