Sunday, January 20 2013 6:02 PM EST2013-01-20 23:02:04 GMT
Friday afternoon, a car went through the ice near the Priest Bay Bridge on Lake Minnetonka.A witness to the accident says there were four people in the car when it went into the lake.The Hennepin County
Friday afternoon, a car went through the ice near the Priest Bay Bridge on Lake Minnetonka.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has confirmed that the 8-month-old girl who spent a quarter of an hour submerged in icy waters after her family's SUV plunged through the ice on Lake Minnetonka has died.
Officials say Tabitha Markle died as a result of drowning 60 hours after she was rescued. Her death has been ruled accidental.
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and Orono Police Department are still investigating the incident.
Officials say a family of four from Minnetrista was driving home from a restaurant when the driver, Jonathan Markle, tried to steer the vehicle through a channel and it fell through.
A retired volunteer firefighter who lived nearby was able to pull the parents and their 2-year-old daughter, Isabelle, from the icy water. All are expected to survive.
Rescuers had to take off their cold water protection gear to get into the SUV to rescue Tabitha Markle from her car seat. She was unconscious and was not breathing. They estimate she was submerged for 15 to 20 minutes.
Officials say the ice under the bridge was thinner than in other areas of the lake, and warnings were posted at the time.
Investigators confirmed with FOX 9 News they are waiting for blood test results to see if Markle was driving under the influence, but Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek insisted they will also consider negligence charges and any other factors that lead to what he calls a "senseless death."
"It's always tragic when something like that happens. It didn't have to be this way," Stanek said. "If, in fact, the driver of the vehicle was intoxicated at the time, the charges rise substantially."
Stanek told FOX 9 News investigators are piecing together a possible criminal case against Jonathan Markle, seeking meal and drink receipts from at least one restaurant -- but they are looking into all factors they can.
"We could look at just the behavior component," Stanek said. "Somebody died in this incident, and so this is not to be taken lightly."
The Markles live a stone's throw from the lake in Minnetrista.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 1:00 PM EDT2013-05-22 17:00:29 GMT
An emotional funeral service has been held for a Hofstra University student who was accidentally shot by police.
An emotional funeral service has been held for a Hofstra University student who was accidentally shot by police. Andrea Rebello's family followed the pastor Wednesday as he led her white cloth-draped coffin to the altar at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 12:55 PM EDT2013-05-22 16:55:01 GMT
Jersey shore town is celebrating a milestone as it rebuilds from Superstorm Sandy. Belmar officials will reopen their 1.3-mile boardwalk that was destroyed by the October storm.
Jersey shore town is celebrating a milestone as it rebuilds from Superstorm Sandy. Belmar officials will reopen their 1.3-mile boardwalk that was destroyed by the October storm.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 12:27 PM EDT2013-05-22 16:27:26 GMT
Black and Hispanic men are more likely to be stopped in the Bronx and Brooklyn than other boroughs, according to an analysis of police street stop data released Wednesday by the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Black and Hispanic men are more likely to be stopped in the Bronx and Brooklyn than other boroughs, according to an analysis of police street stop data released Wednesday by the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 12:10 PM EDT2013-05-22 16:10:42 GMT
The NYPD arrested a suspect in the latest anti-gay attack in the city, said police.
The NYPD arrested a suspect in the latest anti-gay attack in the city, said police. The incident Monday night involved two men, who police say, had met at the Bowery Mission and went out drinking together in the East Village. Roman Gornell, 39, was arrested on Wednesday.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 8:23 AM EDT2013-05-22 12:23:21 GMT
Ex-congressman Anthony Weiner whose career imploded after raunchy tweets said in a YouTube video announcement that he's in the New York City mayoral race.
Ex-congressman Anthony Weiner whose career imploded after raunchy tweets said in a YouTube video announcement that he's in the New York City mayoral race. A poll released Wednesday placed Weiner in second place behind City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in a Democratic primary.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 8:10 AM EDT2013-05-22 12:10:21 GMT
Commuter rail service from Connecticut to New York City, along with Amtrak service between Boston and New York, was back on schedule Wednesday morning on one of the nation's oldest and most heavily traveled railways.
Commuter rail service from Connecticut to New York City, along with Amtrak service between Boston and New York, was back on schedule Wednesday morning on one of the nation's oldest and most heavily traveled railways.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 7:42 AM EDT2013-05-22 11:42:24 GMT
The National Weather Service is looking into whether a tornado touched down in a rural eastern New York county during a series of severe thunderstorms that rumbled across the upstate region.
The National Weather Service is looking into whether a tornado touched down in a rural eastern New York county during a series of severe thunderstorms that rumbled across the upstate region.
