Man shot during Fridley traffic crash on Hwy. 65 dies

Feb. 16--A knife-wielding man who was shot in the wild aftermath of a multicar crash Wednesday afternoon in Fridley has died of his injuries, the Anoka County Sheriff's Office said.

Simon M. Schiffler, 33, of Williston, N.D., died at Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was taken after the incident that tied up traffic for hours on Hwy. 65 near Medtronic Parkway in Fridley.

According to the State Patrol, Schiffler crashed into a line of three vehicles that had stopped for a red light on the busy highway about 4:20 p.m. Schiffler's vehicle struck a GMC Sierra, pushing it into a Jeep, which in turn struck a vehicle at the front of the line.

Lisa Panning, 38, of Ham Lake, was first to stop at the red light, glancing at a shopping list when she heard a crash and looked up.

"I looked into my rearview mirror and saw it all happen through my back window," she said. Like dominoes, the cars piled into one another. Her body lurched back and forth.

She got out of her car with a pen and paper so she could write down license plate numbers and exchange insurance information. As she walked toward the rear vehicle, a chaotic scene unfolded.

Schiffler was out of his truck, yelling at the driver in front of him, who also was out of his truck. "He was hurt and he was trying to stand," Panning said. Schiffler shoved the man back into his truck, screaming for him to " 'get your vehicle off of mine,' " Panning recalled.

That driver had nowhere to move his car, Panning explained.

As she approached, Schiffler directed his attention to her, pinning her against a vehicle stopped in the other lane. "He had me in a bear hug," she said. "He was yelling and screaming and trying to kiss me. I could smell alcohol."

"I was afraid," Panning said.

According to investigators, Schiffler soon directed his attention elsewhere, pulling a knife and going after the man whose vehicle he struck. When the man sought refuge in his vehicle, Schiffler stabbed at the windows in an attempt to break in, according to Cmdr. Paul Sommer of the Anoka County Sheriff's Office.

That's when an armed passerby stopped to help. Schiffler began acting "aggressively and intentionally engaged the armed individual," Sommer said.

Panning was on her phone with a 911 operator. "I was looking down and then I heard the shots -- bang, bang," she said. "I said, 'Oh my God. He's been shot.' He was lying face down on the ground."

The gunman remained at the scene and was interviewed by investigators. He has not been identified or arrested.

A day after the incident, Panning said she's still shaken, the images from the scene still vivid in her mind. "I'm very emotional," she said.

It was not immediately clear how fast Schiffler was traveling when he rear-ended the Sierra, said Lt. Tiffani Nielson of the State Patrol.

Alcohol was detected in Schiffler's system at the time of the crash, a crash report said. The Hennepin County medical examiner on Thursday ruled his death a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds, although it will not be clear whether any charges will be filed.

After the crash, Irvin J. Doyle, 57, of Ham Lake, was taken to Unity Hospital with noncritical injuries, the State Patrol's report said. Jamie Lee Lacosse, 40, of Blaine, who also was involved in the crash, was not seriously hurt.

Authorities continue to talk with witnesses and ask anybody who may have information to contact the Anoka County Sheriff's Department at 763-427-1212.

___

(c)2018 the Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Visit the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) at www.startribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.