St. Paul, Minnesota: Two Men Dead After SUV Fleeing Deputy Hits Tree at Payne and Nebraska

Two men died early on Saturday, Nov. 7, after the Acura RDX they were riding in crashed into a tree in St. Paul, Minnesota, while fleeing a Ramsey County sheriff's deputy, the sheriff's office said.

A deputy tried to stop the Acura shortly after midnight at the intersection of Rose Avenue East and Burr Street North, according to the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office. The driver did not stop. He fled, and the deputy followed.

A chase of about 50 seconds

The pursuit lasted about 50 seconds and covered about one mile, the sheriff's office said. The deputy stayed about three blocks behind the Acura as it went more than 100 miles per hour through the neighborhood streets.

Near Wheelock Parkway, the Acura hit a dip in the road. The driver lost control. The SUV struck a tree near the intersection of Payne Avenue and Nebraska Avenue, on the city's East Side.

The sheriff's office described the damage to the Acura as catastrophic. Both men inside were ejected from the vehicle in the crash.

One dead at the scene, one at the hospital

One man was pronounced dead at the scene. The second man was taken to Regions Hospital, where he later died, the sheriff's office said.

The man believed to have been driving was 27 years old. The sheriff's office said he had several outstanding felony warrants, including warrants for drug possession, trafficking and fleeing police. The passenger was 29 years old.

Authorities have not named either man. The sheriff's office said the names will be released after the medical examiner positively identifies the men and after their relatives have been notified.

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office is investigating the crash. Officials have not said why the deputy first tried to stop the Acura, and they have not released any further detail about the moments before the pursuit began. No other vehicle was reported hit, and no bystander injury was reported in the sheriff's account of the crash.

For East Side residents, the facts released so far are short and hard. A traffic stop shortly after midnight became a one mile chase at more than twice the speed traffic moves on those residential streets, and it ended at a tree at Payne and Nebraska with two men dead before either could be named in public.