Man charged with 11 counts in fatal Park Tavern crash blew BAC of .325, charges say
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — Charges have now been filed in the Park Tavern patio crash that killed two people.
On Tuesday, 56-year-old Steven Frane Bailey of St. Louis Park was charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and nine counts of criminal vehicular operation. He allegedly blew a preliminary BAC of 0.325, which is four times the legal limit in Minnesota.
Charging documents say that Bailey tried to back into an open parking spot with his Gray BMW X5, but struck a parked car. He then drove south through the parking lot towards the patio, where he hit an oncoming SUV. Charges say that he then accelerated up to 30-45 mph and rammed through a metal fence surrounding the patio, striking several people.
When officers arrived, they heard him talking on the phone.
"I'm f-----," he said, according to charges. "I hit the gas instead of the brake and went right through a thing."
Kristina Folkerts, 30, was pinned under the car and died at the scene. She was a Park Tavern employee and mother of three. The other man who died, Methodist Hospital employee Gabe Harvey, was with other nurses celebrating a colleague's last day before going to anesthetist school.
Nine others suffered injuries ranging from broken legs, head trauma, lacerations and bruises.
"What was supposed to be the end of a wonderful holiday weekend turned into a horrific tragedy," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
There were also several children at the scene who had just left the area to go bowling, Moriarty said. Her office will file a Blakely notice, she added, to seek a greater sentence for Bailey because of their presence.
"Nothing can change what happened on Sunday night," she said. "But we can and will hold people accountable."
Bailey had five prior DUIs but had a valid license at the time of the crash. His decision to get behind the wheel while allegedly over four times the legal limit was "hugely problematic," Moriarty said.
"How would you feel if you had to live the rest of your life that you took somebody's life and left their children without a mother, and their family without their loved one," she said.
He will make his first court appearance on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. He is currently in jail with a $1 million bail.
Since the tragedy, family, friends and strangers have come by Park Tavern to pay their respects.
"Being here as long as we've had, we've had quite a few people pass away, but not in this manner," Park Tavern owner Phil Weber said. "And this is just, you know, horrific. I mean nobody can even believe this is what happened."
Park Tavern will have a soft reopening on Wednesday. Before it reopens to the public, grief counselors will be on hand to help employees dealing with the loss of a colleague. Methodist Hospital will also host a special event for employees as well.
Online fundraisers have been set up for three of the surviving victims and families of the deceased.
