Passenger killed in early morning crash in St. Paul neighborhood

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Police are investigating after a passenger died in a crash in a St. Paul, Minnesota neighborhood early Tuesday morning.

The St. Paul Police Department said officers responded to the intersection of Sycamore Street East and Jackson Street on a report of a crash. Upon arrival, officers discovered a vehicle up against a tree on the north side of Sycamore Street east of Jackson. 

The St. Paul Fire Department also responded to the scene and extricated both the driver and the passenger from the vehicle. 

Paramedics pronounced the passenger, a 49-year-old man, dead on scene. His identity has not been released. 

The driver, a 44-year-old man, was transported to Regions Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

A preliminary investigation revealed the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound on Sycamore Street East when it left a road and hit a tree, according to a news release. The vehicle then "careened" north across Sycamore and struck a second tree. 

Police believe drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash. A search warrant was drafted to obtain a blood sample from the driver. 

The crash remains under investigation.