Hospital employee, server killed in “horrific” Park Tavern patio crash

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A hospital worker and a server are lifeless and 4 others are harm after what the proprietor of Park Tavern referred to as a “horrific” deadly patio crash Sunday night.

At round 8 p.m., a person drove into the St. Louis Park institution’s car parking zone and, after trying to park, drove his automobile into the surface patio space.

One of many victims killed was 30-year-old Park Tavern worker Kristina Folkerts, who was a mom of three kids, in line with proprietor Phil Weber.

Methodist Hospital confirms certainly one of their workers died on this crash as effectively, and 4 nurses had been injured. The deceased hospital worker was recognized as Gabe Harvey.

The driving force, recognized by metropolis officers as a 56-year-old St. Louis Park man, was arrested on suspicion of legal vehicular murder. He has not but been formally charged. He has two earlier DWI convictions, from 2013 and 2015.

“Kristina was simply one of many household”

Weber says Folkerts was a second-generation Park Tavern server. He says they’ve arrange a GoFundMe to assist assist her household, which has raised virtually $44,000 as of early Tuesday night.

“Kristina was simply one of many household. And her mom really labored for us, too. And her mom was pregnant with Kristina whereas she labored right here, so it is nonetheless, it is simply unbelievable,” Weber mentioned. “Being right here so long as we have had, we have had fairly a number of individuals move away, however not on this method. And that is simply, , horrific. I imply no person may even consider that is what occurred.”

A spokesperson for Methodist Hospital shared a press release with WCCO, which reads partly: “Our focus within the days forward will likely be in supporting our colleagues and the family members of these affected by this tragedy. The shut relationships our colleagues have with one another is a part of what makes Methodist a particular place. Park Tavern has been an incredible companion to our hospital for a few years and our ideas are with them as effectively.”

Weber says he too sees Methodist as a companion.

“They have been simply wonderful clients. Retirement events, one per week, in all probability one per week a retirement social gathering, and what they needed to undergo throughout COVID was simply horrific,” Weber mentioned.

Park Tavern is closed till additional discover whereas the workers processes this loss and picks the items again up. Weber assured WCCO that the restaurant will proceed to be the guts of St. Louis Park and can recuperate from this tragedy.

“We’ll get via and we’ll maintain doing what we do. We have now no different alternative,” Weber mentioned.  

“He had a coronary heart of gold”

Methodist Hospital is positioned simply over a mile southeast of Park Tavern. Hospital officers didn’t identify the deceased worker, however mentioned he was a “beloved and revered colleague.”

Harvey was there with different Methodist Hospital nurses celebrating a colleague’s final day earlier than going to CRNA faculty. 

“I picked out a yellow and orange plant as a result of he jogs my memory of the sunshine,” ICU Nurse Laci Haviland mentioned.

Haviland stopped by to carry flowers and pay her respects Monday at a rising memorial outdoors Park Tavern. She mentioned she had simply been working with Gabe Harvey lower than 24 hours prior, throughout a shift she did not know can be his final.

“He simply bought together with everybody. He was welcomed at any unit he would go to however the ICU was his dwelling unit,” she mentioned.

There was a gentle move of individuals coming to the restaurant to go away flowers subsequent to the tavern’s patio and pay their respects to the victims, together with Methodist workers like Mary McGibbon.

“I really feel so devastated to get up to this. These had been great individuals, colleagues of mine, and I simply pray for his or her well-being and need them peace,” McGibbon mentioned.

She mentioned Harvey “had a coronary heart of gold.”

“At all times smiling, and he beloved his colleagues,” she mentioned.

Jill Morin, who additionally works at Methodist, picked flowers together with her daughter from their backyard at dwelling to carry to the memorial.

“I’ve labored at Methodist 20-plus years and I used to be simply actually shook up. We heard the sirens final evening and did not know what was happening, so to listen to that lives had been taken by a really sudden tragedy was actually upsetting,” Morin mentioned. “We actually are one massive neighborhood and yeah, we have misplaced a bit of that final evening.”

On-line fundraisers have been arrange for the 2 victims and three nurses who had been critically harm.

“We even had colleagues that went to the hospitals final evening to the place our different nurses are simply to assist their households,” Haviland mentioned.

Harvey was a well being coordinator and making ready to start out nursing faculty, she mentioned. 
   
“He would have been one of the best nurse,” she mentioned. 

Harvey’s colleagues describe him as having a coronary heart of gold, at all times smiling and loving his colleagues.

Police say they need witnesses and others who could have been injured within the crash to name 952-924-2165. These with footage of the crash are requested to submit their movies to police on-line.

NOTE: This text was amended on Tuesday to replace the variety of victims who survived the crash.