1 Killed After Car Crashes Into 2 Trees, House In Richfield
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – One man is dead after a car crashed into two trees and a house in Richfield Sunday morning.
According to the Richfield Police Department, just before 3 a.m. a Richfield police officer noticed a Dodge Caravan mini-van, driven by Travis Rheineck, crash into a stop sign at 62nd Street and Bloomington Avenue.
The officer began to follow Rheineck, during which his speed and erratic driving increased. During the chase, Rheineck ignored numerous traffic control devices and the officer ended the pursuit.
Rheineck continued to speed seven to eight blocks southbound on Bloomington Avenue before crashing into two trees and a house on the 7200 block.
Rheineck was ejected from the car and killed. There was no one else in the car. No one in the home was hurt.
Rheineck's cousin Marcus White said he leaves behind two children. White followed as police chased his cousin across town.
"It was fast," White said. "Police went to pull him over, he took off, I pursued the chase."
Police asked White to identify his cousin, who he says was a big part of Minnesota's hip-hop community.
"Is it that serious that we need to chase him through a neighborhood like this, and not only put him at risk but everybody else in the neighborhood?" Rehineck's friend Jennifer Thomas said. "I mean, at some point I believe they should have backed off."
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, along with the Minnesota State Patrol, are investigating the incident.
