Authorities are investigating why and how a van driver slammed into a crowded bus stop shelter in north Minneapolis on Tuesday, injuring at least six people, including three critically.
The crash happened at a busy intersection at about 9:30 a.m. Metro Transit spokesman Howie Padilla said the driver hit the side mirror of a bus that had stopped to unload passengers, then backed up, drove forward and hit the mirror again before driving around the corner and crashing into the shelter.
“We don’t know why that happened. We would love to know that. We will know that. It is just going to take some time,” Padilla said.
The man driving the van was taken into custody and was later released while the investigation continued, Padilla said.
Images of the scene showed a van smashed against a mangled bus shelter. Shattered glass covered the sidewalk.
Padilla said all six of the victims are men. The three men critically injured were taken to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale. Two others were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with injuries that were not critical. One man was treated at the scene.
