Open bottle driver sped at 100mph before fatal seven-car crash

A St. Paul man charged in connection with a deadly seven-car crash in Minneapolis on Wednesday has been charged with vehicular homicide while driving nearly 100 miles per hour just before the crash.

Taylon Walker, 29, was arrested Thursday after he allegedly caused a major crash on eastbound I-94 near Lindale Avenue that killed 26-year-old Natalie Gabbey of Minneapolis and injured nine others.

According to the charges, Minnesota State Patrol troopers found numerous vehicles with extensive damage and several people with minor to serious injuries when they were called to the scene at 9:15 p.m.

After speaking with witnesses, officers learned that Walker was driving his Chevy Avalanche on the exit ramp from I-94 eastbound toward Dunwoody Boulevard and was approaching cars that were slowing down for traffic.

As Walker approached Dunwoody Blvd., he rear-ended a Jeep Cherokee and then slammed head-on into the rear of the Ford Edge, causing a chain reaction that involved several other vehicles including a Nissan Versa, a Toyota RAV4 and an Audi Q5.

According to witnesses who saw the crash, Walker was going about 100 miles per hour when he hit the ramp. The charges allege that when officers searched Walker’s car, they found an open, partially full bottle of alcohol on the driver’s side dashboard.

The driver of the Jeep Cherokee, Gabbay, died at the scene, and several other passengers of the collided vehicles were seriously injured and remain in the hospital.

Walker also suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital. He had a blood sample taken at the hospital, the results are awaited. On June 17, 2021, Walker had a prior implied consent license revocation.

Walker is currently being held in the Hennepin County Jail and will make his first court appearance on Friday at 1:30 p.m.