subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Mon, May 12 2008 

Resources

print this story   Print this story
email this story   E-mail this story
  Post to del.icio.us

Photos


Koren Robinson and his wife, Joy, left the Nicollet County Jail Wednesday after he appeared in court for several charges, including fleeing police and driving while intoxicated, related to a high-speed chase from St. Peter to Mankato Tuesday.
John Cross / The Free Press


Koren Robinson was driving a BMW 760 sedan similar to this one while allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase from St. Peter to Mankato Tuesday night.
Submitted Photo / The Free Press

Published August 17, 2006 01:14 am - A top Vikings receiver, accused of leading a police chase so fast he allegedly left officers in his wake while their squad cars reached speeds as high as 120 mph, was calm and collected during an appearance in Nicollet County District Court Wednesday.

Viking faces felony charge
Police say Koren Robinson was driving more than 120 mph during chase

By Dan Nienaber
The Free Press

ST PETER

A top Vikings receiver, accused of leading a police chase so fast he allegedly left officers in his wake while their squad cars reached speeds as high as 120 mph, was calm and collected during an appearance in Nicollet County District Court Wednesday.

A 15-hour stay in the county’s jail came to an end for Koren Lynard Robinson, 26, Wednesday afternoon after he made a court appearance for several charges related to a police chase from St. Peter to Mankato Tuesday night.

Robinson, who was brought to court in a bright orange jail jump suit and leg shackles, was released after posting a $50,000 bail bond.

He left the jail with his wife, Joy, and a friend. Robinson’s attorney, Joe Tamburino, would only say Robinson has the support of his team and his family, and is anticipating his return to the Vikings.

“There is no comment on the case whatsoever,” Tamburino said.

A field breath test showed Robinson had a blood-alcohol concentration of .11 as he was being arrested in Mankato, the criminal complaint said. A later test, completed just after midnight in St. Peter, showed Robinson had a blood-alcohol concentration of .09. The test was taken after he spoke to an attorney about an hour after his arrest. The legal blood-alcohol concentration limit for driving is .08.

The incident was labeled as “unfortunate” by Vikings officials. Owner Zygi Wilf has vowed to change the team’s image after players had a long string of run-ins with law enforcement, including a lewd boat party on Lake Minnetonka last year. Robinson was likely attempting to return to training camp on the Minnesota State University campus before the team’s 11 p.m. curfew. Players had most of Tuesday off after playing a pre-season game in Minneapolis Monday night.

“One of the reasons that I’m here in this job and one of the mandates from the Wilf family is that they want this ship run right,” Vikings Coach Brad Childress said Wednesday at training camp. “I’m trying to create a culture of accountability. You can’t drive when you’ve been drinking.”

The chase started at about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday after a St. Peter police officer reported seeing a car speeding into St. Peter from the north on Highway 169. An initial radar reading showed the car was going about 105 mph in a 55-mph zone, the criminal complaint said.

A second St. Peter officer picked up the car as it passed the Econofoods downtown parking lot. That officer reported the car, which he was able to identify as a blue four-door BMW sedan, was traveling 66 mph in a 30 mph zone.

A pursuit started and Mankato police officers were called to assist as the car sped out of the city. At one point, as the three vehicles were navigating a set of curves south of St. Peter, one of the officers reported going 120 mph and, “rapidly losing ground on the BMW.” That’s when the officers lost sight of the car.

A Mankato police officer was pulling into the Happy Chef parking lot in North Mankato when a blue sedan passed him on Highway 169. A radar reading at that point said the car was traveling 86 mph in the 50 mph zone. The Mankato officer was able to see a portion of the license plate as he began a pursuit through a red light at the Webster Avenue intersection.

The car hit speeds higher than 100 mph before the car was lost again by police at a curve near the Veterans Memorial Bridge, the complaint said. Another Mankato officer reported seeing a blue BMW speeding onto Riverfront Drive from Highway 169. The chase continued at slower speeds closer to 40 mph before the car turned on to Blue Earth Street and stopped.

Robinson, whose driver’s license was suspended by North Carolina in 2005, was immediately arrested.

A felony charge of fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, and misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving and driving after suspension have been filed against Robinson. With two separate charges of driving while intoxicated, Robinson is facing a total of six criminal counts.



print this story    email this story   

Click here to load this Caspio Bridge DataPage.
Click here to load this Caspio Bridge DataPage.




monster
wheels

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide
Top Jobs

ALLTEL
ALLTEL
Alltel Wireless has the following job opportunities. To view a complete description or to apply, go to www.a
...>MORE

Plasma Center Technicians
BioLife Plasma Services, a subsidiary of Baxter Healthcare, has career openings for Plasma Center Technicians in our Mk...>MORE

WORK FROM HOME
Wanted: 29 Serious People to Work
From Home using a
computer Up to
$1,500-$5,000 PT/FT
www.kJodale
...>MORE

AMERICINN OF MANKATO
Welcome to the end of the day.
Hotel & conference center
Now Hiring Full Time
Sales & Catering Manager fo
...>MORE

SEARS - Appointment Setters
Appointment Setters
Need 3 reliable people to set appointments in local Sears store. Earn up to and over $12-$14 pe
...>MORE

See all ads

Top Auto/Recreation

1998 CHEVY SILVERADO Z-7
1998 Chev. Silverado Z-7 4WD, 136,700 miles, ext¹d cab, 3 door, short-box, tonneau cover, 5th wheel hitch, air bag suspe...>MORE

1993 VOLVO 940
Runs and looks good, new parts, $1500/obo 507-385-1782...>MORE

2000 BUICK LASABRE Limited
116000, non-smoker, no rust, AZ car. PS, PB, PW,
PL, A/C, DZCC, ABS, CD, FWD, Auto, 3.8L, Leath Int, Htd Seats, 26
...>MORE

1984 HONDA 650
Honda Motorcycle 650 newer seat, & tires, $525. 625-5680 leave name & phone
...>MORE

Lager's Chrysler World •Mankato
LagersChryslerWorld
Browse South Central Minnes
...>MORE

See all ads

Top Real Estate/Rental

The Right Choice for Rentals
CHOICE REALTY - 507-345-3090
Choice Realty

...>MORE

APARTMENTS & TOWNHOMES
The best selection. Lloyd Management, Inc. Where you're not just residents, you're family! 507-625-5573
>MORE

Spacious Apartments that you can afford all over town
Atwood Property Management Inc.
507-388-9375
Serving the Community for 70 years
>MORE

CENTURY 21 ATWOOD REALTY, INC.
Call us First.
We are Greater Mankato 's No. 1 Home Seller. By Far.
507-387-3131
>MORE

1, 2 & 4 Bedroom Units
Apartments for Rent
1, 2 or 4 BR units
1118 So Washington Ave
St.Peter MN Call Chuck5 07-382-0249
...>MORE

See all ads

Top Deals of the Day

The Free Press Classifieds
Place your Deal of the Day
Contact
Roxanne, Becky or Lee today!
507-344-6395
...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

rc