Austin man gets workhouse for MSP DUI crash
Michael John Tindal, 33, of Austin, was sentenced Nov. 3 in Hennepin County District Court to six months in the county workhouse and five years’ probation after pleading guilty to four counts of criminal vehicular operation for a Jan. 30 head-on crash on 34th Ave. S. near I-494 in Bloomington that injured six, including two young children in his pickup. Judge Sarah West stayed a 15-month prison term; police said Tindal’s BAC was 0.281 and he was driving after his license was revoked from an earlier DWI.
📌 Key Facts
- Defendant: Michael John Tindal, 33, of Austin; pled guilty to four counts of criminal vehicular operation.
- Sentence: six months in county workhouse (credit for nearly three months served), five years’ probation; 15-month prison term stayed by Judge Sarah West.
- Crash details: Jan. 30, 2025, head-on collision with an MSP airport shuttle on 34th Ave. S. near I-494 in Bloomington; six injured including two children.
- Injuries: four shuttle passengers suffered broken bones; one had a traumatic brain injury; the children had cuts and seatbelt burns.
- Impairment/license: BAC 0.281% soon after crash; witnesses reported wrong-way, high-speed driving; open containers found; license revoked after a Jan. 18 DWI in Mower County.