2 dead and 4 injured after man drives his car through restaurant patio in Minnesota

By The Associated Press

Two people died and four were injured Sunday when a man drove his car through the Park Tavern patio. (KSTP)

UPDATE: An update to this story can be found on our sister-station KSTP.

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (AP) — A man drove his car through a restaurant patio where a group of medical workers were celebrating in a Minneapolis suburb on Sunday, killing two people and injuring at least four, police and hospital officials said.

Surveillance footage captured a man, whom police did not name, driving into the outdoor patio of the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park, a city immediately west of Minneapolis. The footage shows the man entering the restaurant parking lot on Sunday evening but not going inside. He attempted to park, then drove into the outdoor patio, police said.

The driver was arrested for criminal vehicular homicide. Police did not offer additional details on a potential motive. They also did not identify the victims. But in a written statement on Monday, Annelise Heitkamp, a spokesperson for Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, said one of the people who died and the four who were injured worked at the facility.

“Following the tragic incident at Park Tavern, we’re grieving the loss of a loved and respected colleague and friend to many here at Methodist Hospital and HealthPartners,” Heitkamp said. “Our thoughts are with our colleague’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”

The statement did not disclose the deceased people’s names. It said all four of the injured hospital workers were nurses. Dr. Thomas Stark, who works at Methodist Hospital, told KSTP-TV that the group of colleagues went to Park Tavern, which is near the hospital, on Sunday night to celebrate with one of the nurses, who was leaving her role for a new position.

“On to the next chapter of her life and everyone was out celebrating, having a good time and saying good-bye,” Stark said.

That nurse is now hospitalized with severe injuries, according to the news station.

One person who witnessed the episode told KARE-TV that the driver struck the back of his vehicle before mowing directly into a crowd of about 30 people on the patio. Park Tavern owner Phil Weber told the news station that the second person who died is Kristina Folkerts, a server at the restaurant.

Folkerts, 30, had a longstanding connection to the Park Tavern, Weber said. Before Folkerts’ mother died, she was also a server at the restaurant. She passed when Folkerts was 14, and restaurant employees came to the teenager’s aid and would occasionally babysit her. Folkerts is survived by three young daughters.

The Park Tavern is a “family-friendly destination offers bowling lanes and arcade games, plus a restaurant and bar,” according to its website. In a written statement published 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 conducted an accident reconstruction, and a law enforcement investigation into the episode is ongoing, authorities said.

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This story has been updated to correct the number of medical workers killed. Only one of the people killed was a medical worker, not two.