Two killed in 100 mph Ramsey County pursuit crash

Two people were killed when an Acura SUV fleeing a Ramsey County sheriff's deputy at more than 100 mph crashed into a tree in St. Paul shortly after midnight Saturday, authorities said.^[1]

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office said a deputy attempted to stop the Acura RDX near Rose Avenue East and Burr Street North in St. Paul, but the driver took off, leading to a roughly one-mile pursuit that topped 100 mph before the vehicle hit a dip at Wheelock Parkway, lost control, and slammed into a tree near Payne and Nebraska avenues, ejecting both occupants.^[1] The suspected driver, a 27-year-old man who had outstanding felony warrants for drug offenses and for fleeing police, and a 29-year-old passenger were pronounced dead at the scene, and officials have not yet released their names.^[1]

Deputies identified the man behind the wheel as the suspect because of his outstanding warrants, which included prior allegations of fleeing from officers, according to the sheriff's office.^[1] The agency said the deputy initiated the stop in St. Paul's Payne-Phalen neighborhood just after midnight, then pursued the Acura northbound before the vehicle hit the dip in the road and veered off into the tree, ripping it apart and leaving debris scattered across the boulevard.^[1]

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office is expected to review squad car video and other evidence as part of a standard investigation into the crash and the brief pursuit that led up to it, while the Minnesota State Patrol typically examines serious or fatal law-enforcement-related crashes.^[1] As of late Saturday morning, officials had not said whether the deputy followed any special pursuit policies given the high speeds and residential streets involved, or how long exactly the chase lasted before the fatal impact.^[1]

Recent debates over police pursuits in Minnesota and across the country have focused on how quickly routine stops can escalate into deadly crashes, especially in dense urban neighborhoods like the one where Saturday's wreck occurred. Local departments in many cities have tightened chase policies in recent years, limiting high-speed pursuits in favor of later arrests when suspects are known, but sheriff's offices and police unions often argue that backing off too much can embolden drivers with outstanding warrants who believe they can outrun the law.

1. FOX 9