A woman stole an SUV from a man in Eden Prairie and drove it two days later into a nearby lake in an apparent attempt to harm herself, authorities said Monday.
The incident occurred about 2:40 p.m. Sunday at Lone Lake Park, just north of Hwy. 62, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.
Witnesses told authorities they saw a woman speeding in the SUV toward a large tree. She missed the tree and wound up in a few feet of water in Lone Lake. The water covered the SUV's tires.
The woman, from Minnetonka, was pulled from the lake by sheriff's deputies and taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with what Police Chief Mark Raquet described as minor injuries.
Raquet added that he believes the driver was trying to hurt herself. Her identity has yet to be released.
The SUV had been stolen sometime between 2 and 6 a.m. Friday from outside the Hilton Garden Inn in Eden Prairie, according to police. The vehicle was being rented by a 45-year-old man from Arizona who had just met the woman and allowed her into his room, police added.
When he woke up, the woman was gone, said Eden Prairie spokeswoman Katie Bengtson, along with his keys, cellphone, charger, $40 and the SUV.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
