Luck was not on the side of a 19-year-old driver in Minnesota, who managed to evade the police in a stolen Hyundai sedan, only to eventually crash into a state patrol vehicle.
The impact of the crash was such that it created a hole in the wall of a nearby house. Unfortunately, the trooper was seriously injured due to the impact and was taken to a nearby hospital.
The nature of the crash highlights the rising dangers on the road, where even a police officer is not safe from drivers who use stolen cars and put others’ lives at risk.
Notably, the stolen Hyundai had two other occupants, who were also left injured by the incident.
Police Lost Sight of the Hyundai Before it Crashed Into the Patrol Vehicle
According to a report by CBS News, the Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy attempted a traffic stop after spotting the stolen Hyundai sedan at around 10:30 p.m. in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood.
However, the driver of the car managed to escape into Minneapolis. He was pursued by the deputy, who eventually lost sight of the stolen sedan.
Soon after, the Hyundai went through a stop sign near West 46th Street and Aldrich Avenue South and crashed hard into the side of a Minnesota State Patrol vehicle. Officials confirmed that the Hyundai was not being pursued at the time of the crash.
After crashing into the patrol vehicle, the teen driver escaped the scene of the accident but was found and arrested later. In addition to the state trooper, two other passengers in the stolen car suffered significant injuries.
The sheriff’s office revealed that the driver of the stolen Hyundai has been arrested twice in the past for evading police.
In addition, the same car was involved in another pursuit last Thursday, where it “swerved at emergency vehicles.” However, it remains unclear if the 19-year-old driver was behind the wheel of the sedan last week.
Patrol Vehicle Slams Into Nearby House
The impact of the incident involving the stolen sedan and the patrol vehicle was such that the patrol vehicle hit a nearby house, creating a hole underneath the porch.
Tom Ambresch was nearly asleep when the patrol vehicle crashed into the house, waking him up with a major jolt. He said:
“I thought we were being attacked. I didn’t know it was a state trooper until I came outside and saw the side of the vehicle. I saw the person inside, all the smoke from the airbags inside the vehicle. He was slumped over a little bit inside.”
He also showed WCCO a video of first responders getting the trooper, who appeared able to walk a little, out of the patrol vehicle, despite the significant injuries he suffered.
Teen Revealed It Was Fun to Drive in Stolen Vehicles
Another CBS News report stated that the 19-year-old driver later told police in a post-Miranda statement that it was fun to drive around in stolen vehicles.
He now faces one count of fleeing a peace officer, one count of receiving stolen property, and three counts of criminal vehicular operation.
According to court documents, the injured trooper was hospitalized with a fractured left scapula and a fractured right fibula. One of the two passengers in the stolen Hyundai suffered a compound neck fracture and brain bleed, while the other experienced neck pain.