Truck crashes into Little Canada bar, injures at least four

A pickup truck driving along Little Canada Road jumped the curb and crashed through the side of the suburban St. Paul roadside tavern this afternoon. Here's what it looked like from the outside (click for a larger version):

Ramsey County Sheriff's Office spokesman Randy Gustafson said a deputy driving by saw the whole incident. He said the truck hit a power pole, then punched through the side of Gordies bar and pinned people inside. The sheriff's office later issued a release saying four bar patrons were pinned inside the bar, and the driver of the pickup was trapped inside her vehicle.

"We had extracted everybody from the inside. Three people from inside the bar and the driver of the vehicle taken by Allina ambulance to the hospital for treatment. We had some minor injuries and they're being attended to here."

According to a release from the sheriff's office this afternoon, "A Good Samaritan volunteered the use of their nearby Bobcat to move the vehicle just enough to free the people trapped behind the bar."

The Ramsey sheriff's office says injuries to two of the people were considered serious. An initial review found the driver, a 51 year old woman, had suffered from a medical crisis. But the sheriff's office continues to investigate the cause.

The crash closed Little Canada Road, after power lines fell across the street. The truck also spilled gasoline inside the building, but there was no fire.

Here's how they got the truck out of the bar:

And here's what the bar looked like after the truck was winched out:

Photos, video: Tim Nelson, MPR News

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