Stolen car slams trooper into south Minneapolis home
An allegedly stolen Hyundai slammed a Minnesota State Patrol squad into a south Minneapolis home at W. 46th Street and Aldrich Avenue South, seriously injuring the trooper.
Officials say the stolen car ran a stop sign with its headlights off and struck the squad at about 80 mph, driving the patrol vehicle into an occupied porch and injuring everyone involved. All three people in the stolen car were seriously hurt, the trooper was pinned and badly injured, and the 19-year-old driver tried to flee on foot before being arrested after officers tracked the vehicle with a State Patrol helicopter.
The episode traces back to a nightlong police response that began around 10:45 p.m. in St. Paul's Highland Park after a Ramsey County deputy first spotted the stolen vehicle and later handed tracking to the helicopter. The crash comes amid a local surge in car thefts early this year, after a decline in 2024-25; Minneapolis reported 1,450 auto thefts from January 1 to March 30, 2026, a 25% rise versus the same period in 2025, and Hyundais have been a common target, according to reporting by FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Neighbors and social posts described a chaotic scene and expressed concern for the trooper and the neighborhood. Witnesses said a deputy was nearly struck before the final collision pushed the squad into the home, and several people online offered prayers for the injured while calling for safer responses to high-speed thefts.
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📊 Relevant Data
Minneapolis has experienced 1,450 reported auto thefts in 2026 so far, a 25% increase from the same period in 2025. ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-auto-thefts-surge-in-2026-as-suspects-turn-to-modern-key-programming-devices/601640133)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-auto-thefts-surge-in-2026-as-suspects-turn-to-modern-key-programming-devices/601640133)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-auto-thefts-surge-in-2026-as-suspects-turn-to-modern-key-programming-devices/601640133)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-auto-thefts-surge-in-2026-as-suspects-turn-to-modern-key-programming-devices/601640133)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-auto-thefts-surge-in-2026-as-suspects-turn-to-modern-key-programming-devices/601640133)) ([Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-auto-thefts-surge-in-2026-as-suspects-turn-to-modern-key-programming-devices/601640133))
Auto thefts spike in Minneapolis as high-tech hacks spread — Star Tribune
The Hyundai Elantra is the most stolen car model in Minnesota, followed by the Hyundai Sonata. ([B105 Country](https://b105country.com/stolen-vehicles-minnesota)) ([B105 Country](https://b105country.com/stolen-vehicles-minnesota)) ([B105 Country](https://b105country.com/stolen-vehicles-minnesota)) ([B105 Country](https://b105country.com/stolen-vehicles-minnesota)) ([B105 Country](https://b105country.com/stolen-vehicles-minnesota)) ([B105 Country](https://b105country.com/stolen-vehicles-minnesota))
Minnesota Ranks 14th In Car Theft Rates Across The U.S. — B105 Country
At least 54 Minnesotans were killed in police chases between 2017 and 2022. ([Minnesota Reformer](https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/03/05/dozens-of-minnesotans-have-been-killed-in-high-speed-police-chases-since-2017)) ([Minnesota Reformer](https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/03/05/dozens-of-minnesotans-have-been-killed-in-high-speed-police-chases-since-2017)) ([Minnesota Reformer](https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/03/05/dozens-of-minnesotans-have-been-killed-in-high-speed-police-chases-since-2017)) ([Minnesota Reformer](https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/03/05/dozens-of-minnesotans-have-been-killed-in-high-speed-police-chases-since-2017)) ([Minnesota Reformer](https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/03/05/dozens-of-minnesotans-have-been-killed-in-high-speed-police-chases-since-2017)) ([Minnesota Reformer](https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/03/05/dozens-of-minnesotans-have-been-killed-in-high-speed-police-chases-since-2017))
Dozens of Minnesotans have been killed in high speed police chases since 2017 — Minnesota Reformer
Minneapolis has seen a 26% increase in car thefts involving youth in 2026 compared to 2025, with 16 youth auto-theft charges as of March 2026. ([KSTP](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/hcao-16-minneapolis-youth-auto-theft-charges-this-year-as-diversion-group-sounds-alarm)) ([KSTP](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/hcao-16-minneapolis-youth-auto-theft-charges-this-year-as-diversion-group-sounds-alarm)) ([KSTP](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/hcao-16-minneapolis-youth-auto-theft-charges-this-year-as-diversion-group-sounds-alarm)) ([KSTP](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/hcao-16-minneapolis-youth-auto-theft-charges-this-year-as-diversion-group-sounds-alarm)) ([KSTP](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/hcao-16-minneapolis-youth-auto-theft-charges-this-year-as-diversion-group-sounds-alarm)) ([KSTP](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/hcao-16-minneapolis-youth-auto-theft-charges-this-year-as-diversion-group-sounds-alarm))
HCAO: 16 Minneapolis youth auto-theft charges this year as diversion group sounds alarm — KSTP
📌 Key Facts
- Crash location: W. 46th Street and Aldrich Avenue South in south Minneapolis.
- Stolen Hyundai struck a State Patrol squad car at roughly 80 mph after running a stop sign with headlights off.
- Impact drove the squad into an occupied home, seriously injuring the trooper and all three people in the stolen car.
- Incident began around 10:45 p.m. in St. Paul’s Highland Park when a Ramsey County deputy spotted the stolen vehicle and later relied on a State Patrol helicopter to track it.
- The 19‑year‑old driver attempted to flee on foot but was quickly arrested at the scene.
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