Park Tavern crash: Steven Bailey pleads not guilty, trial set for May

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - Alleged drunk driver Steven Bailey, who struck and killed two people while injuring several others with his car at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park on Labor Day weekend, will be headed to trial in May after pleading not guilty.

What we know

Judge Juan Hoyos entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Bailey on Tuesday as he faces charges of third-degree murder, criminal vehicular homicide and driving under the influence.

Court records show that Bailey, 56, has five previous drunk driving convictions on his driving record dating back to 1985.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty previously said Bailey took a breath test after the crash, testing four times the legal limit with a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.325.

Two people were killed during the crash, including Park Tavern waitress Kristina Folkerts.

FOX 9 previously shared Folkerts' story, after she started working at Park Tavern, following in the footsteps of her mother – who was also a beloved server at the tavern for decades before she passed away in 2008. After becoming a mother herself, Folkerts had decided to return to the tavern for a job.

Bailey has posted a $500,000 bond, and is currently undergoing alcohol abuse treatment at a sober house while on electronic home monitoring.

A trial is currently set to begin May 12.

Trial wanted

Folkert’s mother-in-law, Mary Smith, was at Tuesday’s hearing, and is demanding justice.

"We miss her incredibly. We've had Thanksgiving without her. We'll have Christmas without her. She was a vibrant, vibrant young woman," Smith told FOX 9’s Paul Blume. "It's important for me to let him know that he impacted so many people's lives by his actions, by his choices. And I will be there through the whole trial."

Smith says she hopes an appropriate verdict will be found against Bailey for his alleged actions that night.

"He killed two people… I want to see a trial. I want to see a jury convict him," Smith said. "I can't understand what possible defense there could be for what he's done."

Victim anger remains

In October, FOX 9’s Maury Glover spoke with Tegan D’Albani, who was one of the victims of the crash when she was seated on the patio of Park Tavern celebrating one of her coworkers starting graduate school.

D’Albani says she remains upset that Bailey has been released to a treatment facility while he waits to go on trial, as she remains confined to a wheelchair and learning to walk again.