Video shows moments before wrong-way crash on I-694 that killed 2, gravely injured child
OAKDALE, Minn. -- The Minnesota State Patrol said two people were killed in a wrong-way crash in the east metro early Thursday that also left a 3-year-old child gravely injured.
Per the patrol, the crash occurred on northbound Interstate 694 near Stillwater Boulevard in Oakdale just before 2:30 a.m.
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A driver in a Toyota Corolla was heading the wrong way in the northbound lanes and hit a Pontiac Vibe head-on. The Vibe spun out and hit a third vehicle.
The driver of the Vibe was ejected and killed, and a 3-year-old girl who was also in the car was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, the patrol said. She is in critical condition as of Thursday evening.
The Corolla's driver was also killed in the crash. The driver of the third vehicle was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
The Corolla's driver was identified as William Alexander Flores-Zamora, a 28-year-old from St. Paul. The driver of the Vibe was determined to be Alexander John Ripka, a 32-year-old man from Rice.
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The State Patrol says that Ripka was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
The northbound lanes were closed for hours Thursday morning, but reopened around 7 a.m.
