A state trooper suffered serious injuries after a stolen vehicle crashed into their squad car at 80 miles per hour on Friday night.
The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office said that at around 10:30 p.m., a deputy saw a stolen Hyundai sedan and attempted a traffic stop in the Highland neighborhood of St. Paul.
The car drove across the Ford Parkway Bridge into Minneapolis and was briefly followed by the deputy, who then terminated the pursuit after losing sight of the vehicle.
Shortly after, the car was seen driving recklessly with its lights off in south Minneapolis.
The driver then ran a stop sign at West 46th Street and Aldrich Avenue South, colliding into the side of a State Patrol squad car at 80 miles per hour, the sheriff’s office said.
The state trooper was extricated from the squad car and brought to the hospital with “significant injuries,” according to Ramsey County officials.
Authorities say the 19-year-old driver tried to run away but was arrested by law enforcement, and the two passengers in the stolen vehicle suffered serious injuries.
The sheriff’s office said that the driver has two prior arrests for fleeing police and is being held at Ramsey County Jail awaiting charges.
According to police reports, the same vehicle was involved in a pursuit the night before in the west metro, where it reportedly swerved at emergency vehicles but did not hit them.
The Minnesota State Patrol, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minneapolis Police Department and Minneapolis Fire Department assisted in the response.
Courtesy of KTSP
