Man Drives Automotive By Restaurant Patio in Minneapolis Suburb, Killing 2 – Cyber Tech

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (AP) — A person drove his automobile by a restaurant patio the place a gaggle of medical staff have been celebrating in a Minneapolis suburb on Sunday, killing two folks and injuring at the very least 4, police and hospital officers mentioned.

Surveillance footage captured a person, whom police didn’t identify, driving into the out of doors patio of the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park, a metropolis instantly west of Minneapolis. The footage reveals the person getting into the restaurant car parking zone on Sunday night however not going inside. He tried to park, then drove into the out of doors patio, police mentioned.

The motive force was arrested for legal vehicular murder. Police didn’t supply extra particulars on a possible motive. In addition they didn’t determine the victims. However in a written assertion on Monday, Annelise Heitkamp, a spokesperson for Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, mentioned one of many individuals who died and the 4 who have been injured labored on the facility.

“Following the tragic incident at Park Tavern, we’re grieving the lack of a beloved and revered colleague and good friend to many right here at Methodist Hospital and HealthPartners,” Heitkamp mentioned. “Our ideas are with our colleague’s household and family members throughout this extremely tough time.”

The assertion didn’t disclose the deceased folks’s names. It mentioned all 4 of the injured hospital staff have been nurses. Dr. Thomas Stark, who works at Methodist Hospital, instructed KSTP-TV that the group of colleagues went to Park Tavern, which is close to the hospital, on Sunday night time to rejoice with one of many nurses, who was leaving her position for a brand new place.

“On to the following chapter of her life and everybody was out celebrating, having a very good time and saying goodbye,” Stark mentioned.

That nurse is now hospitalized with extreme accidents, based on the information station.

One one that witnessed the episode instructed KARE-TV that the motive force struck the again of his automobile earlier than mowing instantly right into a crowd of about 30 folks on the patio. Park Tavern proprietor Phil Weber instructed the information station that the second one that died is Kristina Folkerts, a server on the restaurant.

Folkerts, 30, had a longstanding connection to the Park Tavern, Weber mentioned. Earlier than Folkerts’ mom died, she was additionally a server on the restaurant. She handed when Folkerts was 14, and restaurant staff got here to {the teenager}’s assist and would often babysit her. Folkerts is survived by three younger daughters.

The Park Tavern is a “family-friendly vacation spot provides bowling lanes and arcade video games, plus a restaurant and bar,” based on its web site. In a written assertion revealed on-line, the restaurant mentioned it could stay closed till additional discover.

“Thanks to your understanding and kindness throughout this extremely tough time,” the assertion mentioned.

The Minnesota State Patrol performed an accident reconstruction, and a regulation enforcement investigation into the episode is ongoing, authorities mentioned.

Picture: Police are proven on the scene the place a automobile drove into the patio seating space of Park Tavern in St. Louis Park, Minn., Sunday night time, Sept. 1, 2024. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune through AP)

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