A late-night drive through St. Louis Park turned deadly Monday when a car overturned and erupted in flames, killing the only person inside, according to authorities. The crash happened shortly before midnight near Old Cedar Lake Road and Quentin Avenue South, just off Highway 100, where firefighters arrived to find the vehicle on its roof and fully engulfed, with the occupant still inside.
St. Louis Park police said the car appeared to be traveling at a high rate of speed while rounding a curve before it left the roadway, hit trees, and rolled onto its roof, investigators told KARE‑11. Fire crews put out the blaze, describing the vehicle as fully engulfed when they got there. Officials said the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office crime lab and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office are assisting St. Louis Park police with the investigation.
Speed Still Looms Large On Twin Cities Roads
In its FY23 traffic-safety report, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety recorded 121 speeding-related fatalities, a stark reminder that higher speeds significantly increase the odds a crash will be deadly. Minnesota Department of Public Safety officials have repeatedly urged drivers to slow down for curves and poor conditions, noting that rollovers and post-crash fires can turn survivable wrecks into fatal ones.
Police Seek Witnesses To Deadly Rollover
St. Louis Park police are asking anyone with information about the crash to call (952) 924-2600, the department told KARE‑11. Witnesses at the scene told officers they did not see anyone get out of the vehicle after it left the roadway, and detectives are now working to reconstruct the moments leading up to the collision.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner will conduct an examination to determine the official cause of death, and St. Louis Park police say the investigation remains active. Authorities plan to release additional details once they have notified next of kin and as more information becomes available.
