Off-Duty Officer In Apple Valley Crash Had Alcohol, State Patrol Says

APPLE VALLEY, MN — An off-duty St. Cloud police officer suffered critical injuries Monday night after his pickup truck crashed into the back of a transit bus on Highway 77 in Apple Valley, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

Authorities said Ryan Matthew Ebert, 44, of Big Lake, was driving a 2024 Ram 1500 northbound on Highway 77 when it collided with a 2018 transit bus and the cable barrier just before 10 p.m. near Interstate 35E.

Ebert, who was off duty at the time, was not wearing a seat belt, and alcohol was involved in the crash, according to the State Patrol. He was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis with life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the bus, a 65-year-old from Apple Valley, was wearing a seat belt and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported to M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville.

Road conditions were dry at the time of the crash. The Apple Valley Fire and Police Departments, Allina EMS, and MnDOT assisted at the scene.

A GoFundMe page has since been created to support Ebert’s two children.

"On Monday, October 13th, Ryan was involved in a serious car accident that has left him with injuries that are not survivable," organizer Tonya Eggers, a close friend of the family, wrote on the fundraising page.

"This GoFundMe has been created in hopes to cover expenses for Ryan's children, both now and in the uncertain times ahead. All funds raised will go directly toward: medical bills, basic needs, living and travel expenses, support services for the children, and any unexpected costs that may arise as a result of the accident," Eggers wrote.

"As a devoted father, Ryan's greatest priority has always been the well-being of his children. We're asking for your support to help ensure they have the stability, care, and resources they need during this time of hardship."