Driver in north Minneapolis Kia crash was 12-year-old boy

The ages of the driver and 5 teenage passengers who were hospitalized were released by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.

June 7, 2023 at 1:53AM

The driver of an allegedly stolen Kia that crashed and destroyed a north Minneapolis bus stop Monday was a 12-year-old boy, while the passengers were slightly older.

The ages of the driver and five teenage passengers who were hospitalized after the silver SUV crashed were released Tuesday by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. The Kia struck another SUV on Olson Highway and Penn Avenue, then slammed into a Metro Transit bus shelter and also hit a man waiting at the shelter around noon, authorities said Monday.

The passengers were four boys, one age 14 and three age 15, and one 16-year-old girl, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kelsey Demmert said.

The Kia was believed involved in multiple armed robberies, being driven erratically through the North Side. Demmert did not say whether any firearms were recovered from the vehicle, saying it was part of the investigation.

Four of the Kia occupants were still in the hospital as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, and two were released and taken to Hennepin County Juvenile Detention. All six were arrested.

Detectives with the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF) were working on a joint operation with the Minneapolis Police Department when they spotted the Kia. When they tried to stop the vehicle, the driver immediately fled, according to a statement from Demmert on Monday.

Star Tribune staff writer Liz Sawyer contributed to this article.

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Louis Krauss

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Louis Krauss is a general assignment reporter for the Star Tribune.

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