Two dead and three injured after man drives his car through restaurant patio in Minnesota
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — Two people were killed and three injured after a man drove his car through the patio of a restaurant in a Minneapolis suburb on Sunday, police said.
Surveillance footage captured a man, whom police did not name, pulling onto the patio of the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park, a city directly west of Minneapolis. The footage shows the man pulling into the restaurant’s parking lot Sunday night but not going inside. He tried to park and then drove onto the patio, police said.
The driver was arrested for criminal homicide. Police did not provide further details about a possible motive. They also did not identify the victims.
A spokesperson for HealthPartners, a nonprofit health care organization that operates Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, said KARE-TV that nurses and staff of the institution are among the victims.
According to a witness to the incident, the driver rear-ended his car and then drove straight into a crowd of about 30 people on the patio, the news station reported.
Dr. Thomas Stark, who works at Methodist Hospital, said KSTP-TV He was with a group of coworkers at Park Tavern on Sunday night, celebrating one of the hospital workers who was leaving her job as a nurse for a new position.
“On to the next chapter in her life and everyone was out there celebrating, having a good time and saying goodbye,” Stark said.
According to the news station, the nurse is now in hospital with serious injuries.
The Park Tavern is a “family-friendly destination featuring bowling alleys and arcade games, plus a restaurant and bar,” according to its website. In a written statement posted online, the restaurant said it would remain closed until further notice.
“Thank you for your understanding and kindness during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement said.
The Minnesota State Patrol has conducted an accident reconstruction and a police investigation into the incident is ongoing, authorities said.