A Minnesota State Patrol trooper was seriously hurt Friday night when a stolen Hyundai ran a stop sign and T-boned a patrol cruiser in south Minneapolis, according to authorities. The crash at West 46th Street and Aldrich Avenue South left the trooper and the people in the Hyundai with significant injuries. Emergency crews had to extricate the trooper from the crumpled squad and rushed him to a nearby hospital. Police later arrested a 19-year-old at the scene, officials said.
What officials say
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office said one of its deputies first spotted the Hyundai in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood around 10:30 p.m. and tried to pull it over before the driver took off toward Minneapolis, according to CBS Minnesota. Deputies told reporters they ended the pursuit after losing sight of the vehicle, and officials say the car was not being chased at the moment it ran the stop sign.
Scene and injuries
Law enforcement said the Hyundai was carrying three people and was estimated to be traveling about 80 mph when it blew the stop sign and slammed into the side of the State Patrol vehicle, per FOX 9. Fire and medical crews worked to free the trooper from the squad car before taking him and the Hyundai's occupants to a nearby hospital with what officials described as significant injuries. Streets in the area were shut down while multiple agencies handled the crash scene.
Suspect, prior pursuits and custody
Investigators say the 19-year-old driver ran from the wreck on foot but was quickly caught and is being held at the Ramsey County Jail, according to CBS Minnesota. The sheriff's office also reported that the same Hyundai had been involved in a pursuit the previous night in the west metro and that the driver has two prior arrests tied to fleeing police.
Investigation and next steps
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota State Patrol are now investigating the crash and trying to piece together the full sequence of events, according to FOX 9. Officials have not released details on the trooper's current condition or whether formal charges will be filed, and authorities say they are not sharing additional information while the investigation continues.
