St. Paul PD: Man Who Hit Pedestrian May Have Been Impaired
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Family and friends are mourning the loss of a jogger who was hit Wednesday evening while using a St. Paul crosswalk.
The victim, 35-year-old Scott Spoo, was a senior product development engineer at 3M. He was also an avid runner and bicyclist.
St. Paul police arrested the driver, 60-year-old Peter Berge of St. Paul, for criminal vehicle operation.
The incident happened at about 5 p.m. Wednesday along the scenic Mississippi River Boulevard at the Dayton Avenue intersection.
Barb Kennedy, who lives in the area, walked to the scene of the incident on Thursday holding a few flowers.
"I've never done anything this before, but I was moved to bring something out here," Kennedy said.
As she laid the flowers near some muddy tire tracks near the crosswalk, she told WCCO she and her family often use the paths for fun and exercise.
"A lot of people come here," Kennedy said. "It could be any of us."
Berge is a lawyer who currently serves as ethics chair for the Hennepin County Bar Association (HCBA).
Paul Floyd, president of the HCBA, shared a statement with WCCO that said, "We are very sad to hear this terrible news and so sorry for the family of the deceased. The evidence will determine the future for Mr. Berge."
Steve Linders, spokesperson for St. Paul Police, says Berge did stop and was cooperative.
"He appeared to be impaired based on preliminary evaluation by officers, and also appeared to maybe have been distracted," Linders said.
He says the death should serve as a reminder to all the people who share the roads to use caution.
"These deaths are entirely preventable," Linders said. "It is a shared responsibility. Drivers need to look out for pedestrians and pedestrians need to look out for drivers."
For Kennedy and many others in the running and bicycling communities who knew Spoo, his death served as a reminder of life's preciousness.
"I don't even know what to say," Kennedy said. "This is a tragic thing."
Spoo's mother told WCCO her son was loving and kind, and will be greatly missed.
Police are still investigating the incident.
