ST. PAUL, Minn. — Two men died early on Saturday, November 7, after the Acura RDX they were riding in fled a Ramsey County sheriff's deputy, sped through a St. Paul neighbourhood at more than 100 miles an hour and slammed into a tree, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office said.
Source: Ramsey County Sheriff's Office via Minnesota Now
The crash ended a pursuit that lasted only about 50 seconds and covered roughly one mile — a short, very fast flight through the Payne-Phalen neighbourhood on the city's East Side that left the SUV with what authorities called catastrophic damage and threw both men from the vehicle.
A traffic stop just after midnight
According to the sheriff's office, a deputy attempted to stop the Acura RDX shortly after midnight at the intersection of Rose Avenue East and Burr Street North in St. Paul. The driver did not stop. Instead, the driver fled, and the deputy pursued.
Source: KSTP / Minnesota Current
The sheriff's office said the Acura reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour during the chase, while the deputy remained about three blocks behind the fleeing SUV. No other vehicle was reported struck during the pursuit itself.
The crash at Payne and Nebraska
Investigators said the fleeing Acura hit a dip in the road at Wheelock Parkway, the driver lost control, and the SUV struck a tree near the intersection of Payne Avenue and Nebraska Avenue. The impact caused catastrophic damage to the vehicle, and both occupants were ejected, according to the sheriff's office.
One man was pronounced dead at the scene. The second man was taken to Regions Hospital, where he later died. The sheriff's office has not released any further detail about the injuries of either man.
Who the two men were — and what is not yet known
Authorities said they believe the driver was a 27-year-old man who had several outstanding felony warrants, including warrants involving drug possession, drug trafficking and fleeing police. That identification is the sheriff's office's preliminary belief, not a confirmed public identification. The passenger was a 29-year-old man, the sheriff's office said.
Neither man's name has been released. The sheriff's office said names will be released only after the medical examiner has positively identified both men and their next of kin have been notified — the standard step that must come before families learn of a death from the news.
What happens next
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office is handling the investigation. Its work will include confirming who was driving, reconstructing how the SUV lost control at the dip on Wheelock Parkway, and completing the record of a pursuit that began as a routine traffic stop and ended, less than a minute later, with two deaths.
The two men have not been publicly identified. The sheriff's office says names will follow the medical examiner's positive identification and notification of next of kin.
For residents of the Payne-Phalen neighbourhood, the immediate aftermath was a closed crash scene around Payne and Nebraska avenues in the early hours of Saturday. Any further official findings — including the confirmed identities and the completed investigation — are expected to come from the sheriff's office as its work continues.