2 Dead After Car Crash In Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A deadly car crash in Minneapolis shut down a section of University Avenue NE on Saturday morning.

Two people died and another three were injured when a vehicle somehow lost control and crashed into a tree. It happened near the intersection of University and 37th Avenue Northeast at around 2:30 a.m.

Minneapolis police say 26-year-old Shannasey Marie O'Rourke, of Minneapolis, died at the scene. She was a passenger in the front seat. The driver, 30-year-old Paul Samuel Buchanan, died on the way to the hospital.

The three passengers in the backseat were all taken to HCMC after a neighbor heard the crash and called for help.

Ron Kelly was letting his dogs outside Saturday morning when he heard a crash.

"It was just like a loud crunch like metal hitting something solid," said Ron Kelly, who called 911.

He heard the impact of a driver hitting a fence and nearby tree after losing control on University Avenue NE. But, due to the early morning darkness he didn't know the extent of the damage.

"I couldn't see nothing so I didn't think nothing of it," Kelly said.

Within seconds he heard the calls for help. Ron grabbed his phone and ran towards the wreckage.

"The people I did see were saying, help get me out of here. I said, I can't move you. I don't want to move you," Kelly said.

His call to 911 brought first responders who took three people to HCMC. The other two couldn't be saved.

"Hopefully, it made a little difference helping the other three," Kelly said.

One person is in satisfactory condition and police say all three are expected to survive.

Police have not said if alcohol is involved. The crash remains under investigation.