The driver of an SUV that rolled over just north of Interstate 694 in Fridley, sending all seven occupants to the hospital, had been drinking, the State Patrol said Saturday night.
Only the driver, Jennifer L. Teetzel, 35, of Minneapolis, was wearing a seat belt, and several of the others were thrown from the vehicle, said Lt. Eric Roeske of the State Patrol.
All seven suffered serious injuries, including a 4-year-old boy who was not in a car seat or using a seat belt, Roeske said. Teetzel, the boy and a 47-year-old woman were taken to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale; the others were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
The rollover took place on southbound University Avenue just north of I-694 in Fridley about 5:20 p.m. The Ford Explorer came to rest on its roof on University Avenue.
There were no other vehicles involved, the State Patrol said.
Court records show Teetzel was convicted in 2009 for third-degree drunken driving. She also pleaded guilty to careless driving in a case in 2003 in which a charge of fourth-degree drunken driving was dismissed.
Pamela Huey and Jeff Strickler
