Driver charged in fatal crash that killed two, injured nine

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office today charged Steven Frane Bailey, 56, in connection with a fatal crash that killed two people and injured nine others at a St. Louis Park restaurant. Bailey faces two counts of criminal vehicular homicide for intoxication and negligence, and nine counts of criminal vehicular operation of varying levels of severity depending on the injuries of each victim.

The number of charges could rise if more victims come forward.

According to the criminal complaint, Bailey was observed on surveillance video pulling into the Park Tavern parking lot Sunday, driving past an open parking spot, hitting a parked car when he tried to back into that spot, pulling out and then accelerating toward the patio. He plowed through the metal fence into the patio seating area and hit several people. His vehicle came to an abrupt halt when he hit several boulders.

One victim, Kristina Folkerts, was pinned under the vehicle. Officers lifted the vehicle off her, but she died at the scene despite life-saving efforts. She was a restaurant employee and mother of three. Gabe Harvey, who was at the restaurant celebrating with several co-workers from Methodist Hospital, was pronounced dead at HCMC.

Officers approached Bailey’s vehicle and 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.” A preliminary breath sample showed a BAC of .325.

Bailey is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility.

“Bailey could have simply decided to stay home or take a Lyft rather than driving while intoxicated,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. “This tragedy killed two people and injured several others, and it was entirely avoidable. We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of those killed, everyone injured, and the entire close-knit St. Louis Park community as they grieve this devastating incident.”

Bailey has two prior DWI convictions, including gross misdemeanor third-degree DWI (convicted on Jan. 23, 2015), and misdemeanor fourth-degree DWI (convicted Jan. 10, 2014).

The St. Louis Park Police Department believes more people were hurt in the crash. Anyone injured who hasn’t yet been interviewed can call the department at (952) 924-2165. Leave your full name, contact information, and connection to the incident so an investigator can call you. Anyone who witnessed any part of the incident and captured video or photos is asked to submit them online to police at https://bit.ly/parktavernvehicleincident.

Driving while intoxicated is a state-wide and national issue. Since 2020, 30% of all fatal crashes and 20% of all serious injury crashes were alcohol related. (LRL Report, Advisory Council on Traffic Safety)
DWI Arrests: 27,192 in 2023 (DPS, Office of Traffic Safety)
Fatalities with alcohol as a contributing factor: 109 in 2023 (DPS, Office of Traffic Safety)
Minnesota averages around 25,000 DWI arrests and 4,000 alcohol-related crashes each year. (LRL Report, Advisory Council on Traffic Safety)
In the first seven months of 2024, there already had been 62 fatalities with alcohol as a contributing factor in Minnesota. (DPS, Office of Traffic Safety), and 15,577 DWI arrests.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, find services at the Minnesota Department of Human Services or call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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