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Minneapolis man charged in deadly crash on I-694
Officers said the driver smelled of alcohol and registered .218 BAC on his preliminary breath test.
ARDEN HILLS, Minn — A Minneapolis man is accused of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed two people on Interstate 694 in Arden Hills on Friday, Feb 16.
Prosecutors charged Luis Eduardo Tipantuna Quinchiguano, 31, of Minneapolis, with four counts of criminal vehicular homicide.
According to the criminal complaint, Minnesota State Patrol troopers and deputies with Ramsey County Sheriff responded to a multiple-vehicle crash on I-694 and Snelling Avenue North last Friday at 8:45 a.m.
Witnesses said that a 2008 Chevrolet Equinox driven by Quinchiguano was driving erratically by changing lanes often without signaling and weaving through traffic.
Eventually, Quinchiguano crashed into a Chevy Malibu and pushed the car sideways into the left lane in front of an oncoming semi-truck.
Authorities said the semi broadsided the Malibu, killing 76-year-old Curtis Curtis O’Connor and 74-year-old Karin O’Connor inside the car.
When officers came to the Equinox driven by Quinchiguano, they found “open bottles of alcohol” and say he “smelled of a strong odor of consumed alcoholic beverages,” according to the complaint.
Officers said Quinchiguano was unconscious and breathing. He didn’t have “observable external injuries” and had urinated in his clothing. Quinchiguano would regain consciousness but then quickly fall back to sleep again. They said he strongly smelled of alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, according to court documents.
Authorities said a paramedic expressed that Quinchiguano was so intoxicated that he would need to go to a hospital.
Officers gave him a preliminary alcohol screening test and it registered .218 BAC “on a very weak puff of breath,” according to the complaint. The legal BAC limit is .08.
Authorities said Quinchiguano’s blood test is pending.
Vikings fans were ecstatic to see their team beat the New York Jets.
FRIDLEY, Minn. — Vikings fans packed Forgotten Star Brewery early Sunday morning to watch the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets game in London.
Hundreds of people were at the Fridley brewery to watch the game on a 15-foot screen at 8:30 a.m. Hodgepodge food truck was also there serving up brunch specials for fans to have with a pint of beer.
“We were up at 4:30 this morning, ready to go, getting our gameday gear ready,” said Luke Drake. Luke got there at 6 a.m. with his wife Nicole to make sure they got a prime spot.
“Before we were together, I was a Vikings fan and not like a super crazy Vikings fan. [Now] we’re up like a 5, 6 a.m., on Sundays, and it’s like we’re ready to go, we’re in front of the TV and we’re ready for the game to start,” Nicole said.
If you can’t tell by Shannon Russell’s purple hair, she bleeds purple and gold.
“I just love football,” she said.
Russell didn’t grow up in a sports family and came across the Vikings by chance when she was 10 years old.
“I was just up watching cartoons one morning and saw the Vikings playing and not understanding what it was, and I just fell in love with it,” Russell said.
Her favorite player is No. 22.
“I love watching Harrison Smtih while he comes up and he’s like ‘Am I going to rush, I don’t know’ and then he just bails out and I love watching that,” she said.
Liz Johnson was also up early with her two kids, Henry and Alice.
“I like football. I like watching. I enjoy the surprises that come with it. I like Forgotten Star, so it’s a perfect place to be, snacks, food,” Henry said.
“It’s pretty cool because you can see the TVs over there, over there, you can look behind you and see it over there, and you can look right there and see it a giant screen,” Alice said.
Alice got creative to pass some of the time, making art with her hands.
“I’m making bracelets,” she said. “So, first you take the first one, twist it and put it around your fingers.”
Even though the kids were up early, the Johnsons wouldn’t have it any other way to watch their hometown town leave London with a win.
Police said the 7-year-old victim was skateboarding on Saturday night.
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The road closure is expected to last until about 11:30 p.m. tonight, according to MnDOT.
MINNETONKA, Minn. — Officials have closed the westbound lanes of US Highway 12 starting at I-494 in Minnetonka after a collision occurred on Saturday night.
According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s 511 Map, the road is closed and there was a “serious crash,” on the highway.
The road closure is expected to last until about 11:30 p.m. tonight, according to MnDOT.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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