Suspected Drunk Driver Causes 7-vehicle Minneapolis Crash; 1 Dead
via MnDOT Traffic Management Camera
A Saint Paul man is accused of causing a multi-vehicle crash on I-94 in Minneapolis, leaving another driver dead and a passenger critically injured.
The crash occurred around 9:17 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23 when authorities say Talon Covie-Cadrell Walker, 29, was driving a Chevrolet Avalanche eastbound at high speeds.
A total of seven vehicles were involved in the crash, with multiple people transported to the hospital. The ramp was closed for several hours as investigators collected evidence and debris from the heavily damaged vehicles was cleared.
The State Patrol midday Thursday identified the person killed in the crash as Natalie Gubbay, 26, of Minneapolis. She was driving a 2015 Jeep Cherokee and was transported to Hennepin Healthcare, where she was pronounced dead. Gubbay was wearing a seat belt, the Patrol said. Her passenger, a 28-year-old woman from Virginia, Minn., had non-life-threatening injuries.
Among the most severely injured was a 20-year-old passenger in Walker’s vehicle, identified as Taniyah Renee Randle-Smith, of Saint Paul. Randle-Smith sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Investigators suspect Walker was impaired by alcohol at the time of the crash and he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Officials are still working to determine the sequence of events and if Walker will face charges related to the crash.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported Walker has traffic convictions for careless driving and operating a motorcycle without a license. Court records include previous convictions for weapons possession, disorderly conduct and violating a no-contact order.
(The State Patrol initially misidentified some of the crash victims in its public report. This article has been updated.)
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