Police chase ends in deadly crash near Minnesota State Fair

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (KMSP) - The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating a police chase and crash that left one person dead and another person injured near the Minnesota State Fair. The crash happened near Hamline Avenue and Como Avenue, less than one mile away from where police first tried to pull the vehicle over.

The chase started as a routine traffic stop around 8 p.m. Sunday when a St. Anthony police officer tried to stop a vehicle near Hamline Avenue and Hoyt Avenue in Falcon Heights.  According to police, as the officer was approaching the car during the initial stop, the driver hit the gas and sped off.

As the officer followed in his squad car, the fleeing driver quickly lost control, went off the road and struck a couple of trees.

The driver died at the scene and a passenger was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The driver's name has not been released, and it's unclear why police pulled the vehicle over in the first place.

Falcon Heights contracts their law enforcement with the neighboring St. Anthony Police Department.