Nurse injured in Park Tavern crash released from hospital, condition for 2 more improves

One of the nurses injured in the deadly Park Tavern patio crash has been released from the hospital and the conditions of two others has improved, Methodist Hospital officials said Friday.

Theo Larson of St. Paul was released Thursday after he was previously reported to be in fair condition. Tegan D’Albani and Laura Knutsen’s condition improved from “serious” to “satisfactory,” Methodist officials said in a release.

All three nurses work at Methodist but were treated at another facility. Officials declined to disclose which hospital treated the victims.

Larson, D’Albani and Knutsen were celebrating a colleague’s departure at Park Tavern when a motorist slammed into the bar’s crowded patio area.

D’Albani’s family said in a statement that they are encouraged by her progress. She is breathing on her own, talking with her family and is on the road to recovery.

“There is still a long way to go, but we are encouraged by seeing Tegan’s strength and determination,” the family said. “Thank you for your thoughts and generosity.”

Gabriel Harvey and Kristina Folkerts, both 30, were struck and killed in the crash. Harvey was a health unit coordinator at Methodist and Folkerts worked at Park Tavern.

Nine other people were injured. One of them, also a nurse at Methodist, was released from the hospital the night of the incident.

Steven Frane Bailey, 56, of St. Louis Park was arrested in connection with the incident and charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and nine counts of criminal vehicular operation. His blood alcohol content measured at 0.325% after officers administered a preliminary breath test at HCMC, according to charges filed in Hennepin County District Court.

In his first court appearance Wednesday, Bailey told a judge his use of alcohol is not a problem. He has an extensive history of drunken driving convictions, starting in 1985 in Wisconsin. Additional convictions followed in Wabasha County in 1993 and Hennepin County in 1998, according to court records. Two more convictions followed in 2014 and 2015.

A Hennepin County judge set his bail at $500,000 with several conditions, including that Bailey take a substance use disorder assessment, that he abstain from drinking alcohol, avoid Park Tavern and stay away from the victims and his family.

His next court appearance is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 1.

Staff writers Paul Walsh and Jeff Day contributed to this report.