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Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
MN moves to strengthen DWI laws after fatal St. Louis Park crash
Minnesota lawmakers are moving to strengthen the state's laws on people who repeatedly drink and drive in the wake of a crash last year that killed two people and injured many others at a bar in St. Louis Park. The hope is that future tragedies will be prevented by making more repeat drunken drivers use ignition interlock devices. The devices require drivers to blow air into a tube to verify whether they are under the legal blood-alcohol limit before starting a vehicle. On Labor Day weekend in 2024, a man with a history of convictions for drinking and driving drove his vehicle into the patio of Park Tavern, leading to multiple deaths and injuries. Steven Frane Bailey, 56, of St. Louis Park, who pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder and three counts of criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm on Wednesday, said he had been drinking vodka at home before the crash. He said he drove to the Park Tavern but attempted to flee the parking lot after crashing into two cars. Instead, he accelerated and went through a fence onto the patio while going around 40 mph, crashing into occupied tables. Charges said Bailey had a blood-alcohol content of 0.335% — more than four times the legal limit of .08%. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he faces 25 to 30 years in prison. If a widely supported proposal moving through the state Legislature this year becomes law, Bailey would have been required to have an ignition interlock device in his vehicle, which could have stopped him from driving, backers say. Minnesota law currently requires people to get one of the devices if their driving privileges are revoked for a second alcohol or drug offense within ten years. The state also requires an ignition interlock if someone has had their third offense, if one or two of the offenses are over ten years old. Bailey had a valid driver's license, but he also had five convictions for driving under the influence between 1985 and 2015. Since his record spanned more than three decades before the fatal crash last year, he wasn't required to have a device installed in his car, bill backers said. 'It spurred us, those of us who represent St. Louis Park in the Legislature, to look for appropriate improvements to the DWI laws so that this could be prevented in the future,' said bill sponsor Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park. 'Unfortunately, not everyone who should use the ignition interlock is on it.' Latz said his bill could reduce the likelihood of fatal crashes like the one at Park Tavern. It increases the lookback period for driving while intoxicated convictions from 10 to 20 years. It also ties the time requirement for interlock devices to the number of DWIs over a lifetime. Right now, the time requirement maxes out at six years when someone has four or more DWIs over a lifetime. Under the new bill, an interlock device would be required for 10 years if someone had 3 or more convictions. The bill also aims to get more people to participate in the interlock program by removing financial barriers. It allows people to pay off the $680 license reinstatement fee while participating in the interlock program rather than upfront. It also increases criminal penalties for driving without an interlock if you're required to have one. And there would also be a requirement that someone completes treatment for addiction before graduating from the interlock program, rather than just beginning treatment. The Senate took up the House version last week but unanimously passed a slightly different version of the bill. With one week left, what's happening with the MN budget at the Legislature? Joe Soucheray: No other governor has tried to pull off this pathetic budget stunt Gov. Walz encourages legislators, and anglers, to get the lead out Minnesota Senate OKs new anti-fraud office, but much work remains Ethics panel deadlocks on complaint against Minnesota Senate President An amendment backed by Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, and adopted by the Senate creates protections for people in the interlock program who lose their vehicles for financial reasons. If someone loses their vehicle or if it becomes inoperable, they'd be able to remain in the interlock program. The House also overwhelmingly passed its version of the bill, backed by Rep. Larry Kraft, DFL-St. Louis Park. The chambers will have to reconcile out the small differences between their bills and pass them again before a final version can head to the desk of Gov. Tim Walz to be signed into law.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Drunken driver who plowed into Park Tavern bar patio, killing 2, pleads guilty to murder
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways A driver pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder charges for being extremely drunk and plowing into a crowded St. Louis Park bar patio on Labor Day weekend, killing two people and injuring a dozen others. Six days before a trial was to begin, Steven Frane Bailey, 56, of St. Louis Park, entered guilty pleas in Hennepin County District Court to two counts of third-degree murder and three counts of criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm for the crash at Park Tavern that killed server Kristina Folkerts and Methodist Hospital employee Gabriel Harvey just after 8 p.m. on Sept. 1, 2024. 'Several other people were injured, some critically, and many more were traumatized by the completely unacceptable actions of one individual,' Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said at a news conference after the hearing. Under the terms of a plea agreement, Bailey faces between 25 and 30 years in prison at sentencing, which is scheduled for July 28 before Judge Juan Hoyos. The attorney's office will ask that Bailey receive the maximum, Moriarty said. 'This was an entirely avoidable tragedy, and Mr. Bailey is being held accountable for causing it,' she said. 'He will be in prison for a long time to ensure that he cannot hurt anyone else.' The charges say Bailey's blood-alcohol content was more than four times the legal limit to drive when he drove his BMW X5 sport utility vehicle through a metal fence and plowed through the length of the patio. Blood samples that were taken from Bailey at Hennepin County Medical Center and analyzed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension showed his blood-alcohol concentration was 0.335, according to an amended criminal complaint filed in court Wednesday. The legal limit to drive in Minnesota is 0.08. Bailey had five drunken driving convictions between 1985 and 2015. 40 mph without braking Friends and family of the victims filled the courtroom at Wednesday's hearing. Bailey's family members sat on the opposite side of the gallery in the front row. Bailey has been out of jail on $500,000 bond since October and completed residential alcohol treatment. Bailey admitted to the offenses upon questioning by his attorney Tom Sieben. He said he had been drinking vodka at his home before going to the Park Tavern for food. After hitting two vehicles in the parking lot, he accelerated and plowed through a metal fence and into the patio seating area, striking occupied tables and multiple people, only coming to a stop because of an embankment. 'Is it safe to say you were going about 40 mph?' Sieben asked. 'Correct,' Bailey said. Upon further questioning, Bailey agreed that his actions were 'eminently dangerous to others' and 'evinced a depraved mind, without regard for human life' — the key elements of a third-degree murder charge. When police arrived at the scene that night, Bailey was still in his SUV. As officers approached him they reportedly heard him on the phone saying, 'I hit the gas instead of the brake and went right through a thing' and 'I'm probably going to jail,' according to the charges. He made several 'spontaneous' statements such as saying when he was told they were going to perform a field sobriety test, 'You don't need to do fields. I know what I did.' A preliminary breath test at HCMC before the warrant for a blood draw showed his blood-alcohol content was 0.325. 'One of the most horrific videos I've ever seen' Bailey initially faced criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation charges. The attorney's office added the murder counts on Sept. 9, saying prosecutors did not yet have the surveillance video at the time of the original charges, although references to the video were included in police reports. 'Initially, before we saw the video, the assumption was this person hit the accelerator instead of the brake,' Moriarty said Wednesday. … 'It's very clear video from the Park Tavern parking lot at different angles, and it was one of the most horrific videos I've ever seen, unfortunately.' Folkerts, of St. Louis Park, was a 30-year-old mother of three girls and was working as a server at 'her beloved Park Tavern, where she died at the scene that night,' Moriarty said. 'She was a passionate photographer who loved music, live concerts and her Starbucks. Her family described her as a free spirit who found the beauty in everyone.' Harvey, a 30-year-old from Rosemount, was a health unit coordinator at nearby Methodist Hospital and on track to graduate from nursing school that December. He was at the restaurant with several hospital workers celebrating a colleague's last nursing shift. He died that night at HCMC. 'He and his partner, Denzel, had recently become new homeowners,' Moriarty said. 'His family described Gabe as kind, smart, hilarious and so incredibly positive.' Among those injured were four Methodist Hospital nurses, and the amended complaint details the extent of their injuries. Related Articles Tegan D'Albani suffered a broken pelvis, broken legs and ribs and dislocated knees. She was unconscious and intubated for a period of time. Her injuries hinder her ability to complete daily tasks. Laura Knutsen was celebrating her last shift as a nurse in the ICU and was set to start school to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist. She suffered head trauma and lost consciousness during transport to the hospital. Her injuries also included 11 broken ribs and a fractured clavicle, pelvis and vertebrae. Theo Larson was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, suffered facial fractures and has lost all memory of the night of the crash. He has been unable to return to work. The other victims suffered injuries that included bruises, cuts and abrasions.
Winnipeg Free Press
07-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Drunken driver who plowed into Minnesota restaurant patio, killing 2, pleads guilty to murder
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man who was driving drunk when he crashed into a patio at a popular Minnesota restaurant, killing two people and injuring nine others, pleaded guilty to murder and other charges Wednesday. Under the terms of his plea deal, Steven Frane Bailey, 56, of the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park, agreed to a sentence of 25 to 30 years. His sentencing is scheduled for July 28. Prosecutors say Bailey already had five drunken driving convictions on his record but got his license back before he drove into the crowded patio at the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park on Sept. 1. His blood-alcohol level was more than four times the legal limit. FILE - Police are shown at the scene where a car drove into the patio seating area of Park Tavern in St. Louis Park, Minn., Sept. 1, 2024. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP, File) Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up Bailey pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder in the deaths of restaurant employee Kristina Folkerts and hospital worker Gabe Harvey, as well as three counts of criminal vehicular operation. He admitted in court that he knew he was drunk when he drove to the tavern. He tried to flee after striking another vehicle while trying to park, he acknowledged, but plowed into the patio instead. The incident prompted calls for stricter drunken driving laws. The Minnesota Senate on Wednesday voted unanimously for a bill that includes stricter license revocation rules for people with multiple drunken driving convictions, and measures to encourage the use of ignition interlock devices. The bill now goes to a conference committee to resolve minor differences with a version that passed the House last week.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- The Independent
Drunken driver who plowed into Minnesota restaurant patio, killing 2, pleads guilty to murder
A man who was driving drunk when he crashed into a patio at a popular Minnesota restaurant, killing two people and injuring nine others, pleaded guilty to murder and other charges Wednesday. Under the terms of his plea deal, Steven Frane Bailey, 56, of the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park, agreed to a sentence of 25 to 30 years. His sentencing is scheduled for July 28. Prosecutors say Bailey already had five drunken driving convictions on his record but got his license back before he drove into the crowded patio at the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park on Sept. 1. His blood-alcohol level was more than four times the legal limit. Bailey pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder in the deaths of restaurant employee Kristina Folkerts and hospital worker Gabe Harvey, as well as three counts of criminal vehicular operation. He admitted in court that he knew he was drunk when he drove to the tavern. He tried to flee after striking another vehicle while trying to park, he acknowledged, but plowed into the patio instead. The incident prompted calls for stricter drunken driving laws. The Minnesota Senate on Wednesday voted unanimously for a bill that includes stricter license revocation rules for people with multiple drunken driving convictions, and measures to encourage the use of ignition interlock devices. The bill now goes to a conference committee to resolve minor differences with a version that passed the House last week.
