West St. Paul police pursuit ends with 1 man dead Sunday morning

WEST ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Police say a man is dead after crashing into a power pole while trying to flee from officers during a pursuit early Sunday morning.

What we know

The West St. Paul Police Department said its officers responded to a reported domestic disturbance just before 1:45 a.m. Sunday.

Police say a female caller reported a 35-year-old man, who had consumed drugs and alcohol, was threatening residents and damaging property inside the home. The dispatcher reportedly heard a man yelling and what sounded like items being thrown during the call.

Officers then saw a vehicle westbound on Moreland Avenue and tried to stop it in order to arrest the driver for suspected domestic assault and other charges. 

Police say a few blocks after they tried to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle crossed Robert Street and the driver lost control. The vehicle then struck a power pole and two unoccupied vehicles in a driveway near the intersection of Moreland Avenue and Kruse Street. 

The driver was reportedly ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Reaction

Some West St. Paul homes were without power for much of Sunday, after police say a man fleeing from law enforcement crashed into a power pole overnight.

"It was really a shock for all of us to be coming out with our pajamas to see what is going on," neighbor Lilian Petite told FOX 9. "I just heard a very loud noise around 2 [o’clock] in the morning. It was very loud."

"Pretty loud, I mean it shook the windows of the house," neighbor Cordel Wild added.

Neighbors described three distinct booms that sounded like thunder and woke them up from their sleep.

"It sounded almost like an explosion. At first, I thought maybe someone was coming into my house, but then I realized that it was outside," Petite said.

Linemen were busy the morning after, working to restore power and cleanup debris. Meanwhile, police say the 35 year old man who crashed into the pole was ejected from his car, and pronounced dead at the scene. 

"Paramedics went to the vehicle, and they came back with the supplies, so I assumed he was dead," Wild said.

What comes next 

The Mendota Heights Police Department is investigating the crash. A crash reconstruction investigation is being conducted by the Minnesota State Patrol.