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Minnesota State Patrol

Monday, January 7, 2013

Owning A Radar Detector Might Lead To More Police Stops

Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Jacalyn Sticha: 'A false sense of security, initially, has them speeding more often and at higher rates.'

Friday, January 4, 2013

Updated: Police Chase Stolen Car Through Golden Valley And St. Louis Park

Brooklyn Center police say two suspects led officers down Highway 169 before they were arrested near Minnetonka Boulevard.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Updated: Police Chase Stolen Car Through Golden Valley And St. Louis Park

Brooklyn Center police say two suspects led officers down Highway 169 before they were arrested near Minnetonka Boulevard.

A police chase Thursday morning began in Brooklyn Center and continued through New Hope and Golden Valley, before ending in Minnetonka. At about 2:40 a.m. Jan. 3, a Brooklyn Center police officer spotted two people driving a stolen car in a parking lot near Shingle Creek Parkway and Freeway Boulevard. When the officer tried to stop the car, the driver accelerated and took police on a 14-mile chase. According to Brooklyn Center Police Department Investigative Commander Tim Gannon, an adult male and adult female drove westbound on Interstate 694 and continued southbound on Highway 169 through New Hope and Golden Valley. Gannon said New Hope police and Minnesota State Patrol assisted in the pursuit. On Highway 169, scanner information …

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Valerie Engler

5:41 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013

Isaac and Ann, thanks for your comments. We felt like it was important to get the word out because this chase involved major highways and multiple agencies. That said, it's not our intention to spam your inbox. We'll take your comments to heart. Thanks!   more ›

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Blog: Why Don't We Let Youth Drink at Age 18?

'In the 1970s and 1980s the minimum legal drinking age became a traffic safety problem as it became calculable that youth’s traffic crashes increased when states lowered the drinking age.'

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

If A Car Comes Toward You In Your Lane, What Should You Do?

Sgt. Jacalyn Sticha of the Minnesota State Patrol explains how you can avoid a head-on collision.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Man Arrested for DWI After Police Say He Smashed Into Retaining Wall

Authorities say David Lewis Wright Jr. had a blood-alcohol content more than twice the legal limit when he crashed his car in St. Louis Park.

A New Richland, MN, man has been charged with driving drunk after authorities say he smashed into a retaining wall on Highway 100 in St. Louis Park and briefly blocked traffic. David Lewis Wright Jr., 47, is charged with two counts of second-degree DWI, each a gross misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $3,000 fine. Several motorists called 911 just before 3 a.m. Dec. 16 to report a vehicle had crashed into a retaining wall on Highway 100 near 36th Street, according to the criminal complaint. A Minnesota State Patrol trooper arrived and found the car, which was blocking the right lane and smoking badly, with Wright still in the driver’s seat. The trooper asked Wright to get out of the car, and he had trouble keeping …

Monday, December 17, 2012

Man Arrested for DWI After Police Say He Smashed Into Retaining Wall

Authorities say David Lewis Wright Jr. had a blood-alcohol content more than twice the legal limit when he crashed his car in St. Louis Park.

A New Richland, MN, man has been charged with driving drunk after authorities say he smashed into a retaining wall on Highway 100 in St. Louis Park and briefly blocked traffic. David Lewis Wright Jr., 47, is charged with two counts of second-degree DWI, each a gross misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $3,000 fine. Several motorists called 911 just before 3 a.m. Dec. 16 to report a vehicle had crashed into a retaining wall on Highway 100 near 36th Street, according to the criminal complaint. A Minnesota State Patrol trooper arrived and found the car, which was blocking the right lane and smoking badly, with Wright still in the driver’s seat. The trooper asked Wright to get out of the car, and he had trouble keeping …

Saturday, August 18, 2012

(UPDATED) SLP Man Critically Injured in Motorcycle Crash

The incident occurred in Robbinsdale early Friday morning.

A 29-year-old St. Louis Park man is in critical condition after crashing a motorcycle into a pole early Friday morning, according to a KARE-TV report. The Minnesota State Patrol reports that the incident occurred a little after midnight in Robbinsdale, near the intersection of 42nd Avenue North and Welcome Avenue North. David Thompson was driving the motorcycle at a high rate of speed when he lost control and hit the pole. Passenger Ashley Juntilla, 23, of Crystal, was also critically injured, KARE reports. The two were taken to North Memorial Hospital. Stay with St. Louis Park Patch for updates to this story.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

One Dead After Bus Crash on I-394 in SLP

The vehicle blew a tire and spun into a concrete barrier at around 9 a.m. Wednesday.

One person is dead after a small bus spun out and crashed on Interstate 394 at Park Place in St. Louis Park Wednesday morning. Passenger Charles Miranda, 89, of Minneapolis, died in the crash, the state patrol reports. The crash occurred around 9 a.m. According to the state patrol, a 2000 Chevrolet Express blew a tire and crashed into a concrete barrier. WCCO-TV is reporting that the incident forced the far left and middle lanes of westbound I-394 to be closed while crews worked the scene. Lalji Patel, 55, of Crystal, was the driver and had no apparent injuries, the state patrol reports. A second passenger, 85-year-old Beverly Gilman, of Minneapolis, sustained a minor injury. All three occupants were wearing seatbelts. The Chevy was the …

Monday, June 4, 2012

SLP Man Arrested Again for Drunken Driving

Police say John Anthony Byrnes Jr. registered a blood-alcohol content of .172 percent when he was arrested May 29—more than twice the legal limit.

A St. Louis Park man with a handful of alcohol-related convictions on his record has been charged again with drunken driving. John Anthony Byrnes Jr., 27, was arrested May 29 and charged with felony first-degree DWI, which carries a penalty of three to seven years in prison and a $4,200 to $14,000 fine. According to the criminal complaint, signed by Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Dan Beasley, troopers were called to the area of Interstate 394 and Highway 169 just after 11 p.m. May 29 on a report of a stalled car. Troopers found the car on a ramp to Highway 169 and two people standing beside it. Officers asked what had happened; Byrnes replied, “I ran out of gas,” according to the complaint. Troopers smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming …

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