Charges: Man accused of causing 7-car crash had an open bottle and was driving at 100 mph

A man has been charged in connection with a seven-vehicle crash earlier this week in Minneapolis that left one person dead, court documents show.

A criminal complaint filed Thursday shows that Taylon Covey-Carrell Walker, of St. Paul, has been charged with one count of vehicular homicide – grossly negligent driving. Additionally, his license was revoked effective June 17, 2021, the document said.

Although Walker is listed on the jail’s website, a photo was not immediately available.

The document says officers were called around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday to the crash on eastbound I-94 near Lindale Avenue. The crash closed eastbound I-94 until 2 a.m. Thursday.

When officers arrived, they found several vehicles “with significant damage” and “several people with minor to serious injuries.” As reported on Thursday morning by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWSone of the victims, identified as 26-year-old Natalie Gubbay, died of her injuries at the scene.

Gabbey was a researcher and data specialist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Abigail Wozniak, director of the Institute for Opportunity and Inclusive Growth at the Federal Reserve System of Minneapolis, said in a statement that Gabbey “co-authored groundbreaking work on economics” and helped “advance our understanding of homegrown incomes.”

“She was clear, kind and scrupulous in her work. As colleagues and friends, we appreciated her calm mind and love for outdoor recreation,” Wozniak wrote. “She was planning a career in the quantitative social sciences, and we have lost a creative and caring scientist. We are saddened by the loss of her bright future and grateful for the time we had with her.”

Another person is identified in a State Patrol incident report as a 20-year-old St. Paul woman in Walker’s vehicle — received serious bodily injuries and was taken to the HMC. Neither she nor Walker were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

The complaint says Walker was driving a Chevy Avalanche on the I-94 East exit toward Dunwoody Boulevard while other vehicles were driving slowly. Walker then allegedly rear-ended another SUV and crashed into the back of a Jeep Cherokee, sending it into the back of a Ford Edge, causing a chain reaction crash involving three other vehicles.

According to the complaint, witnesses believe Walker was traveling about 100 miles per hour at the time of the crash, and the force of the crash was so great that the two vehicles involved were thrown sideways.

Walker’s blood test results have not yet been received. The complaint adds that officers found a bottle of alcohol on the floorboard of the car on the driver’s side, adding that the bottle was open and partially full.

Walker has a hearing at 1:30 p.m. Friday. If convicted, Walker faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.