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Jon Collins
St. Paul, Minn.

Man charged after crashing into Lowertown's Bulldog bar

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Ramsey County prosecutors have charged a Little Canada man who injured five people early Friday morning after he crashed a minivan through the front window of a St. Paul bar.

Matthew Michael Damman, 31, faces one charge for fleeing police and five counts of criminal vehicular operation.

Damman and five injured customers of Bulldog Bar and Restaurant were brought to Regions Hospital for treatment. A spokesperson for the hospital said all six people were treated and released.

Shortly before midnight, a state trooper responding to a 911 call encountered Damman's minivan on Interstate 94, according to the criminal complaint. Police said that after Damman exited onto Sixth Street in St. Paul, the trooper activated his squad car's emergency lights and siren as the minivan accelerated away.

At Wacouta Street, Damman, who was the only occupant, tried to turn right but crashed into the east side of the Bulldog Restaurant and Bar, according to the charges.

After the crash, Damman was unresponsive and smelled of alcohol, the trooper said. He complained about low blood sugar, which was later confirmed by medics.

Damman's blood alcohol content was well below the legal limit. He admitted that he had smoked marijuana five hours before the accident, and police recovered a pipe and marijuana in the minivan.

According to state records, Damman was convicted of driving while intoxicated in Ramsey County in 2008 and 2012. He also was convicted of marijuana possession in 2004.

Damman is in custody at the Ramsey County jail. His bail is set at $20,000 and his first appearance is scheduled for Monday.