Man charged in deadly Park Tavern DWI crash pleads guilty
Why the suspected drunk driver in the Park Tavern fatal crash is facing additional charges
Why the suspected drunk driver in the Park Tavern fatal crash is facing additional charges
Why the suspected drunk driver in the Park Tavern fatal crash is facing additional charges
Steven Bailey, the Minnesota man charged in last year's deadly drunken driving crash at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park, pleaded guilty to multiple charges on Wednesday morning.
Bailey, 56, is accused of plowing into more than a dozen people on Park Tavern's patio on Sept. 1, 2024, killing server Kristina Folkerts and Methodist Hospital employee Gabe Harvey. Both victims were 30 years old. Twelve others were hurt, with five suffering serious injuries.
He was originally charged with 16 criminal counts, including three charges added earlier this week.
Steven Bailey
HCAO
On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder and three counts of criminal vehicular operation. He must also pay restitution for all victims. Bailey is expected to face up to 30 years in prison. His sentencing date has not been scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint filed last year in Hennepin County, Bailey, of St. Louis Park, first struck a parked vehicle while backing his BMW X5 into a spot in Park Tavern's lot.
Bailey then struck an oncoming SUV before accelerating up to 45 mph and smashing through the patio's metal fence, the complaint states.
Kristina Folkerts and Gabe Harvey
GoFundMe
Officers at the scene say they overheard Bailey tell someone in a phone call that he "hit the gas instead of the brake and went right through a thing," and, "I'm f***ed," according to the complaint.
Bailey, whose blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit after the crash, has five prior convictions for driving while intoxicated, with the first case in 1985 and the last case in 2014, the complaint states.
Court records show he had an ignition interlock device — a breathalyzer system that prevents a car from starting if alcohol is detected on a driver's breath — on his vehicle for six years, which expired in 2020.
Last week, Minnesota lawmakers introduced a bill that aims to strengthen DWI laws, particularly around the use of ignition interlock devices.
NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is May 4, 2025.
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