UPDATED: Two Injured After Vehicle Drives Off a Ledge in Apple Valley
UPDATED: May 29, 2025, at 8:15 AM.
APPLE VALLEY, MINNESOTA—Two elderly women were hospitalized Wednesday morning after their vehicle plunged off a large retaining wall outside the Timbers of Apple Valley senior living complex in a serious single-vehicle crash.
The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. on May 28, 2025, along the Pennock Avenue side of the Timbers of Apple Valley senior living complex. According to the police report, the incident occurred in the west parking lot of the facility, which features parking spaces that face a steep 20 to 25-foot drop toward Pennock Avenue. Authorities say the vehicle, driven by a 78-year-old woman, was pulling into a parking space when it continued forward, crashed through a wooden fence, and went over the edge of the retaining wall. The car flipped front-to-back mid-air and landed upside down on its roof, coming to rest with the front bumper facing back toward the building.
According to the police report, both occupants were seat-belted and remained trapped inside the overturned vehicle. The driver was conscious and later extricated by Apple Valley Fire personnel. The passenger, however, was found unconscious and not breathing. First responders quickly removed her from the vehicle and performed CPR. She later regained a pulse and began breathing with the assistance of medical personnel. Both were transported by Allina Health Ambulance to local hospitals with what is being reported as serious injuries. No other injuries were reported, though one witness did tell us they received a cut or two on their hands from trying to open the doors of the vehicle to get the woman out of the car.
The Minnesota State Patrol responded to the scene to assist with crash reconstruction. No vehicle malfunction was found, and preliminary findings suggest the driver may have mistaken the gas pedal for the brake. The vehicle was declared a total loss and was privately towed from the scene by Dicks Towing. Authorities confirmed that no citations or charges will be filed in connection with the incident.
Apple Valley Fire, Apple Valley Police, Allina Health, and Minnesota State Patrol all responded to the scene. Pennock Avenue was closed between 140th Street West and just north of 142nd Street West while emergency personnel assisted at the scene and investigated the cause of the crash.
Written by: Will Wight