Man dead after he flees cop in Coon Rapids, crashes in Anoka

Just moments after police stopped a pursuit of a driver who fled a traffic stop in Coon Rapids, the fleeing motorist crashed into another vehicle, killing himself and injuring a passenger in his vehicle.

The fatal crash happened on Main Street near Ferry Street in Anoka. 

According to the Anoka County Sheriff's Office, the driver of a 2000 Buick LeSabre fled an attempted traffic stop by a Coon Rapids police officer on Hanson Blvd. NW near Gate Dr. NW at about 11:37 p.m.

A police chase ensued until the suspect fled into Anoka, at which point the sheriff's office says "Coon Rapids officers completely disengaged" and the suspect continued for about a mile before crashing into a Dodge Ram on Main Street near Ferry Street. 

The suspect was killed in the crash, while a passenger in the suspect vehicle was taken to a local hospital, where their condition is unknown as of Wednesday afternoon. The suspect has been identified as Brian Edward Harper, 30, from St. Paul. The passenger has been identified as Jermain Ramone Beasley, 32, from St. Cloud.

The driver of the Ram suffered minor injuries and was released at the scene. 

"This investigation is in its early stages and additional information will not be released at this time," the sheriff's office said Wednesday morning.

It's the second fatal crash caused by a fleeing driver in the north metro in the past week. On Sunday, a suspect smashed into an SUV at a red light in Brooklyn Park, killing a man and critically injured the man's wife.

Correction: One earlier version of this story stated that two drivers died in the crash. Another early version stated that the passenger and the driver died. It was actually just the driver of the suspect vehicle who died in this crash.

Note: The details provided in this story are based on the police’s latest version of events, and may be subject to change.