Osseo PD says officer did not pursue suspect who caused fatal crash
Osseo Police Department has issued a statement that its officers did not pursue a suspect who fled the scene in a vehicle, causing a fatal crash that killed an innocent person a short time later.
Some headlines published by local media and comments made on social media suggested that the fatal crash early Sunday morning followed a police pursuit.
But Osseo PD said that while its officers "tried to follow" the fleeing suspect vehicle, they did not conduct a pursuit due to the suspect's high rate of speed.
According to a release, the officer saw the truck heading towards the border of Osseo and Brooklyn Park and notified police in the neighboring city.
A short time later, the fleeing motorist crashed into a vehicle at the intersection of County Road 81 and Brooklyn Boulevard. They fled on foot, having dealt the other driver fatal injuries, despite the Osseo officer attempting lifesaving aid.
Osseo PD said its officer was conducting a routine check of the Kohler Car Wash early Sunday morning when they witnessed a silver vehicle pull into one of the wash bays with a license plate that "was either covered with black paint or dirt that made the plate unreadable." When the officer approached, a different vehicle — a white truck — accelerated "at a high rate of speed" out of the wash bay.
The suspect was caught after an "observant citizen" called 911 to report the suspect's location, police said. It's unclear what led to the suspect running from Osseo police.
"At no time during this tragic event was the Osseo police officer in pursuit of the speeding vehicle," Osseo Police Chief Shane Mikkelson said in a statement Monday.
"I want to share my condolences to the family of the crash victims and all those [affected] by this tragic event including the first responders that arrived at the scene of the accident."
The identities of the suspect and victims involved have not yet been released.
Note: The details provided in this story are based on the police’s latest version of events, and may be subject to change.
