ST. CLOUD, MN — A late-night traffic stop in St. Cloud turned tragic when a suspect fleeing the scene crashed into another vehicle, killing two innocent men. The devastating incident unfolded just before midnight on Wednesday, when a St. Cloud Police officer attempted to pull over a speeding pickup truck with no headlights on. The chain of events that followed left a community grieving and investigators searching for answers.
The Attempted Stop and Sudden Flight
At approximately 11:46 p.m., a St. Cloud officer spotted a truck driving recklessly in the 1100 block of 8th Avenue North — speeding and operating without headlights. The officer initiated a traffic stop, successfully pulling the vehicle over. However, as the officer exited his squad car and approached the vehicle, the situation took a dangerous turn.
The 26-year-old male driver from Sauk Rapids tossed an object out the passenger-side window and fled the stop at high speed. Before the officer could return to his patrol car to initiate a pursuit, the suspect’s truck had already disappeared from sight. Per protocol, no active chase was pursued, given the rapid and unpredictable flight of the suspect.
Returning to the original stop location, the officer discovered the object discarded by the suspect was a firearm, raising immediate concerns about the potential threat the driver posed to public safety.
While securing the weapon, the officer received a dispatch call about a serious crash just blocks away — near the 1300 block of 10th Avenue North. Responding officers arrived at the crash scene to find a horrific sight: the same truck that fled the earlier stop had violently T-boned another vehicle, causing catastrophic damage.
Inside the passenger vehicle were two men from St. Cloud: a 59-year-old driver and a 45-year-old passenger. Tragically, both were pronounced dead at the scene. The speed and force of the impact left no time for survival. The truck had reportedly been traveling at an extremely high rate of speed when it collided with the victims’ vehicle.
The suspect, still unnamed by authorities, sustained critical injuries in the crash and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he remains under medical care. His condition has not been updated, and no criminal charges have yet been announced pending further investigation.
The St. Cloud Police Department, in cooperation with multiple agencies, is actively investigating the incident. Questions remain about the suspect’s intentions, the origin of the recovered firearm, and the moments leading up to the fatal crash. Toxicology reports, vehicle data, and surveillance footage from nearby intersections are expected to play a role in the case.
Authorities have not released the identities of the two victims out of respect for their families and to allow time for formal notification. The loss has sent shockwaves through the St. Cloud community, where residents are grappling with the senseless nature of the tragedy.
Local leaders and residents are expressing heartbreak over the incident and renewed concern over the dangers of fleeing suspects. While the officer followed department policy in not pursuing the vehicle, the tragic outcome has reignited conversations about pursuit protocols, accountability for dangerous driving, and the increasing number of firearms being recovered during traffic stops.
“This is an unimaginable loss for two families who had nothing to do with what was happening,” said one St. Cloud resident. “They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now two lives are gone.”
What We Know — and Don’t Know
- The suspect is a 26-year-old man from Sauk Rapids but has not yet been named publicly.
- The two victims, both men from St. Cloud aged 59 and 45, have not been identified by name pending notification.
- A firearm was recovered at the site of the original traffic stop, allegedly tossed from the suspect’s vehicle.
- Criminal charges have not yet been filed, but investigators indicate they are likely forthcoming.
- The suspect remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Next Steps
The investigation remains ongoing, with updates expected in the coming days as authorities piece together the full timeline and pursue potential charges. Autopsies and forensics will help solidify the case against the suspect, should he survive.
Meanwhile, the St. Cloud community mourns the loss of two innocent lives in a crash that could have been avoided.
