Police Charge Driver After Golden Valley Rush-Hour Crash

A St. Paul man has been charged with stealing a car and then fleeing police, causing a morning rush-hour crash in Golden Valley.

Donald William Kapaun III, 25, faces two felony charges in the Feb. 10 incident: car theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, and fleeing a peace officer, which has a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Kapaun is free on a $20,000 bond. The next hearing in his case is scheduled for March 1 in Hennepin County District Court.

According to the criminal complaint, compiled by West Hennepin Public Safety Department Officer Jonathan Howes, officers were called to a Cokato gas station early on the morning of Feb. 10 on a report of a stolen car.

Deputies got a description of the car, located it near Orono and tried to stop it, but the driver sped away, leading officers on a high-speed chase through rush-hour traffic on Highway 12 and Interstate 394, the complaint says.

The suspect vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph during the chase and almost caused several crashes, according to Howes’ account. The car eventually stopped after crashing into several other vehicles at the intersection of General Mills Boulevard and Highway 55 in Golden Valley.

The driver of the stolen car was identified as Kapaun, according to the complaint.

No one was injured, but several cars were damaged and one lane of eastbound Highway 55 was closed for about a half-hour.