Memorial For St. Thomas Junior Marks Site Of Fatal Crash

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Scattered dirt, broken glass, balloons, flowers, electric candles and a photo now mark the spot where a 20-year-old St. Thomas junior spent the final moments of her life. Ria Patel was a passenger when her life was cut short by a single-car crash at a stop light. Family and friends described her as "a sweet kid," passionate about volunteering and quick to love others.

On Tuesday, the Minneapolis Police Department arrested a man in connection with the Sept. 17 crash near Stinson Boulevard Northeast and Ridgeway Parkway. Michael Laurence Campbell, age 21, has been booked into the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center on probable cause criminal vehicular homicide, police announced Tuesday.

Minneapolis officers responded to a report of a one-vehicle crash at the intersection at about 3:50 a.m. Sunday.

When police arrived, they found a vehicle that hit a stop light and an adult female passenger trapped inside the vehicle. Officers were able to free her from the car and provide medical aid until paramedics arrived. The woman, later identified as Patel, was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

The booking photo of Campbell is being held for investigative purposes, according to a news release.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner said Patel died just before 4 a.m. Sunday "of multiple blunt force head injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash."

Officers said they learned from a witness that the male driver of the car had fled on foot before police arrived. An inital search of the area was conducted using K-9s, but the suspect was not immediately located.

According to the Star Tribune, dispatch reported that a man’s ID was found by the woman, which led police to a house on the 2900 block of Randolph Street NE. Police later discovered that man had left the home drunk with his girlfriend, the newspaper reported.

The fatal crash is being investigated by the Minneapolis Police Department’s Traffic Investigation Unit, according to a news release. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Minnesota Patch, click here to find your local Minnesota Patch. Also, follow us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The university released the following statement regarding a prayer service for Patel:

Aarti (prayers) will be held Monday, Sept. 18, from 7-7:30 p.m. with prarthana sabha (prayer service) following from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, 2300 Freeway Blvd., Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Please note that 694 East Shingle Creek Parkway is closed, and due to limited parking, carpooling is highly recommended and appreciated.

Photo by William Bornhoft/Patch.com