A high-speed police chase tearing through Robbinsdale on Wednesday morning came to a violent stop when officers forced a fleeing vehicle into oncoming traffic, where it struck another car near County Road 81 and 47th Avenue North by Highway 100. Three adults were ultimately arrested or detained after the crash. Officials said the people in the other vehicle were not hurt and there were no additional injuries reported. The driver bolted from the wreck on foot but was later tracked down and taken into custody after a multi-agency response that included a Brooklyn Park police K-9 unit.
The pursuit kicked off around 9 a.m. after Crystal police tried to pull over a vehicle tied to theft investigations, according to KARE 11. Officers followed the car into Robbinsdale and attempted a tactical stop near County Road 81 and 47th Avenue North. Investigators later said the same vehicle had been wanted by two other departments in the two days leading up to the chase.
Vehicle-theft trend and local context
Recent police activity has been heavily driven by vehicle thefts, even as national numbers show a bit of a cooldown. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that vehicle thefts fell by about 17% in 2024 after several years of increases. Still, local spikes and multi-jurisdictional theft investigations keep area departments and task forces coordinating closely on these cases.
How the chase ended
In Robbinsdale, officers used a PIT maneuver that sent the fleeing vehicle into oncoming traffic, where it collided with another car. Police said the people in the car that was hit were unharmed. The male driver of the fleeing vehicle ran off but did not get far; he was located and arrested with help from a Brooklyn Park police K-9 unit and other agencies, according to KARE 11. Two adult passengers were taken to jail on multiple outstanding felony warrants, while a third adult passenger was released at the scene.
Arrests and next steps…