A St. Cloud man died late Monday after he drove away from police at high speeds and crashed into a parked truck, according to police.
St. Cloud police say an officer first saw the driver heading westbound at around 62 miles per hour in the 30 mph zone on University Drive near Killian Boulevard around 10:40 p.m.
The officer tried to stop the driver, but he accelerated and crossed University Bridge before turning into the eastbound lane. The pursuit was ended at that point due to safety concerns, the department said, but the driver continued and entered the roundabout at 5th Avenue.
Investigators say the driver went off the roadway, into the parking lot of an apartment building on the southwest corner, hit a parked pickup and a nearby light pole. Police officers, Mayo paramedics and St. Cloud firefighters attempted life-saving measures, but the 41-year-old driver died at the scene. He was the only person in the vehicle and has not yet been identified.
A 53-year-old St. Cloud man was in the parked pickup and was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. Police say the suspect’s license had been cancelled because of his past driving conduct.
