Police: Crash Causes Ramp Support To Fall On Truck; 1 Dead

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – An accident caused part of a Mall of America parking ramp to fall on a truck Friday evening, leaving one dead, authorities say.

The accident happened around 8:20 p.m. on the fourth floor of a parking ramp near Nordstroms, which is located in the mall's northwest corner.

The truck's driver -- a 52-year-old man -- is dead, Bloomington police said in a press conference. Authorities, however, are still waiting for the medical examiner to confirm.

Images of the crash show a long piece of concrete atop a U-Haul truck, crushing the front cab. Police said two other people were also trapped in the truck for a time, but they were able to escape with non-life-threatening injuries.

The U-Haul's driver appears to have misjudged the size of the truck as it entered the ramp. The truck hit a support, causing part of the ramp to fall, police said.

One witness -- a young man -- said he was trying to help the driver.

"He asked me to pull his seat back," the witness said. "I told him I can't pull his seat back because if I pull his seat back, it's going to go across your ribs more."

The witness said the man was bleeding.

"He didn't want me to leave him, but I was trying to get him out," the witness said.

Authorities blocked off the entrance to the ramp. Engineers are determining if it is safe to remove the concrete from the truck and recover the driver's body.