Charges: Driver was drunk during crash into Eagan Starbucks
EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 44-year-old man has been charged after he crashed his car into a Starbucks storefront, seriously injuring two people Monday night in Eagan, Minnesota.
According to the Dakota County Attorney's Office, Ihar Daniliuk is charged with two counts of criminal vehicular operation after he crashed his car into a Starbucks.
At about 9 p.m. Monday, officers responded to a crash at a Starbucks on Central Park Commons. When they arrived, officers spoke with Daniliuk, who admitted to driving the vehicle. According to a release from the attorney's office, an officer noted "a strong odor of alcohol emanating from Dahiliuk."
Daniliuk told officers he drank Fireball whisky two hours before the crash. His field sobriety test revealed a breath alcohol concentration of 0.18. Daniliuk was then transported to the hospital with injuries to his foot.
According to the release, Daniliuk told police he went to the grocery store nearby and was parking his car when he accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. He then accelerated over the curb and into the coffee shop.
Daniliuk said he hit a young female and male who were sitting at a table outside the coffee shop. When he realized he hit them, he said he ran out of his vehicle to try to help them.
The man, Stanton Baldwin, suffered serious injuries., Wednesday, his mother Angelica told FOX 9 this is not only incredibly painful and difficult for her son but it's also very hard on her and the rest of his family.
"He was like, 'Mom all I was doing was just having a coffee and I got hit,'" said Angelica Baldwin.
Baldwin now suffers a broken leg, three broken ribs, a fractured spine, internal bleeding, pelvic damage, and a dislocated hip. The full extent of his injuries are still under evaluation.
"They're not sure if he'll have feeling in that leg and that's really bothering me" Angelica says.
Angelica says her son, an ambitious landscaping business owner and single dad, has already undergone two surgeries and has another one ahead of him.
"It hurts me to see him and lay there in so much pain," said Angelica.
"It could be up to six months before he even walking again, if he can start walking," says Pastor Donnell Bratton.
Baldwin's pastor, Donnell Bratton, helps keep the family strong as they now lean heavily on faith.
"I pray to God he's able to get feelings back in his legs, so just keep him lifted in prayer.
As for the woman Baldwin was doing business with at the Starbucks Monday, she suffered multiple lacerations to her face, glass in one of her legs and doctors found that the fibula in her right leg is broken.
Daniliuk made his first court appearance Wednesday.