Man Charged In Deadly Park Tavern Crash Had 5 Previous DWIs: Report

ST. LOUIS PARK, MN — The driver charged in the deadly crash at the Park Tavern patio in St. Louis Park has a history of drunk driving, according to a report. The incident Sunday left two people dead and at least nine others seriously injured.

Steven F. Bailey, 56, faces two counts of criminal vehicular homicide for intoxication and negligence, and nine counts of criminal vehicular operation of varying levels of severity depending on the injuries of each victim.

Bailey's preliminary blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit to drive in Minnesota, according to police.

Bailey has five previous DWI convictions, KARE 11 reported:

• 8/8/1985 - DWI conviction Wisconsin (violation 9/21/85) - 17 years old
• 1/19/1993 - DWI conviction Wabasha County (violation 12/20/92) - 24 years old
• 1/29/1998 - DWI conviction Hennepin County (Violation 11/27/97) - 29 years old
• 1/1/2013- DWI conviction Waseca County (Violation 1/26/13 .16 BAC) - 44 years old
• 1/23/2015 - DWI conviction Hennepin County (Violation 6/6/14 .08 BAC) - 46 years old

His license has been canceled in the past, but it was valid at the time of Sunday's crash, the Star Tribune reported.

If convicted, Bailey faces up to 15 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

One of the victims was a server identified as Kristina Folkerts, 30, of St. Louis Park. She was "a loving mother of 3 young girls and friend to many in the community," her GoFundMe page states.

The other person killed was identified as Gabe Harvey, also 30, of Rosemount. He was a Health Unit Coordinator at the nearby Methodist Hospital. His coworkers, four nurses from the Methodist ICU, were also injured.

"Our friend and coworker Gabe Harvey was the victim of a horrific tragedy," a separate GoFundMe page states. "He was out celebrating a beloved coworker’s last shift in the Methodist Hospital ICU, where Gabe worked as a HUC (Health Unit Coordinator) while he was in nursing school."

On Sept. 1, police were dispatched to Park Tavern on a report of a vehicle driving through the patio and striking several people.

At the scene, officers found a Gray BMW X5 up against large boulders at the base of a hill on the south side of the restaurant's patio.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as Bailey, was still inside.

Bailey had driven through the metal fence surrounding the Park Tavern patio and had struck several people, according to the criminal complaint.

Five victims were being treated at the scene. A sixth person — Kristina Folkerts — was found pinned under the BMW.

Police lifted the BMW off Folkerts. Despite life-saving efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers approached Bailey and heard him on the phone say, "I’m f___ed," the criminal complaint states. He also said: "I hit the gas instead of the brake and went right through a thing" and, "I’m probably going to jail," according to police.

Bailey appeared calm but was slow to respond, his speech was slurred, and his eyes were bloodshot and watery, the criminal complaint states.

As he exited the vehicle, Bailey was unsteady on his feet and fell to his knees, police said.

After being removed from the car, he told officers: "You don’t need to do fields. I know what I did," the criminal complaint states.

A preliminary breath sample found that Bailey's blood-alcohol level was .325, more than four times the legal limit of .08 in Minnesota, according to police.

After being medically evaluated at the Hennepin County Medical Center, Bailey was transported to the Hennepin County Jail.

When officers told Bailey he was being booked with criminal vehicular homicide, he responded: "You got to be kidding me," and "my life’s pretty much f___ed now, isn’t it?" according to police.

The criminal complaint provided the following summary of the victims identified in the crash:

• Victim K.F. was pronounced deceased on scene due to the nature and extent of her injuries.
• Victim G.H. was transported to HCMC where he was pronounced deceased.
• Victim T.D. sustained broken legs, a broken pelvis, broken ribs, and dislocated knees. She is currently still unconscious and intubated.
• Victim L.K. sustained head trauma and lost consciousness during transport to the hospital.
• Victim T.L. sustained head trauma, facial lacerations, and complete loss of memory
• Victim E.S. sustained serious road rash injuries, chest pain, bruising, and torn off skin.
• Victim A.R. sustained multiple bruises.
• Victim R.C. sustained a minor bruise to the back of her right knee.
• Victim D.K. sustained a minor bruise to the middle of his back.
• Victim S.M. sustained minor injuries from being hit by an object during the collision.
• Victim L.M. sustained minor injuries from being hit by an object during the collision.

Surveillance video from Park Tavern showed Bailey pull into the parking lot and drive past an open parking spot, police said.

He then attempted to back into the spot and struck a parked car. Bailey then pulled out and drove south through the parking lot towards the patio and struck an oncoming SUV, according to investigators.

Bailey then accelerated rapidly and "plowed" through the metal fence surrounding the patio and into the seating area, where he struck several individuals who were seated or walking within the patio area, the criminal complaint states.

Bailey continued to accelerate all the way through the patio area, reaching estimated speeds of up to 45 mph, police said. Bailey's vehicle is seen finally coming to an abrupt and violent halt when he hits several boulders at the base of a steep hill, police said.