Alcohol involved in Minneapolis crash that killed 1, left toddler and 9 others hurt, state patrol says
MINNEAPOLIS — A 26-year-old Minneapolis woman is dead and 10 others are hurt following an alcohol-related crash involving seven vehicles on Wednesday night near downtown.
The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened at about 9:17 p.m. when a driver in a Chevy Avalanche exited eastbound Interstate 94 to Lyndale Avenue "at a high rate of speed," causing "severe damage to several vehicles" near Dunwoody Boulevard.
Investigators say the driver of the Chevy, a 29-year-old St. Paul man, had been drinking. He has minor injuries, but his passenger, a 20-year-old St. Paul woman, suffered injuries considered life-threatening.
The woman who was killed, Natalie Gubbay, was the driver of a Jeep. A passenger in the Jeep, a 28-year-old woman from Lancaster, Pennslyvania, suffered injuries not considered life-threatening. The state patrol originally identified Gubbay as a passenger in the Jeep, but later said she was the driver.
The seven other victims, ranging in age from 2 to 62, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the state patrol reports.
Court records show the driver of the Chevy has a revoked license and has previous convictions for careless driving and driving with an open bottle and a controlled substance.
"These people who are just innocently on the road. They're not drinking and driving, but they're the ones getting injured," Lauren Johnson with Mothers Against Drunk Driving said.
So far this year, alcohol has contributed to 71 deaths on Minnesota roads, according to the Department of Public Safety.
A search warrant reveals that it "appears no braking took place before the crash," and that the Chevy had possibly been going as fast as 100 mph.
During a search of the Chevy, officers report finding a "mostly empty" bottle of Fireball whiskey on the floor, according to the warrant.
Authorities closed that stretch of Lyndale Avenue for hours after the crash, with traffic cameras showing vehicles turning around and people getting out and walking.
Gubbay graduated from Colorado College in 2020, where she majored in mathematical economics and earned a Fulbright research award studying worker cooperatives in Argentina.
In a joint statement, Dean of the College and Chief Operating Officer Pedro de Araujo and College Chaplain Kate Holbrook expressed their devastation over her death.
"Natalie was deeply engaged in our community, embodying the best qualities of Colorado College," they said. "She was a dynamic achiever who left an inspiring mark on CC and the faculty who worked with her. Our sincere condolences go out to Natalie's family, her friends, and all who knew her in our college community."