Pedestrian killed in hit-and-run in St. Paul, driver in custody

A man who was allegedly driving while impaired struck and killed a pedestrian Tuesday afternoon in St. Paul, authorities said.

According to St. Paul Police Department spokesman Mike Ernster, officers responded to a report of a hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian and a vehicle around 4:45 p.m. on the 600 block of Vandalia Street.

When officers arrived, they found an adult male victim, Russell William Bangert, of Minneapolis. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police were able to gather a description of the suspect vehicle based on surveillance video near the scene of the crash.

Officers found a pickup truck matching the vehicle description at Myrtle Avenue and Vandalia Street, a short distance from the crash scene. The truck had fresh damage to the front, and the driver, 46-year-old Kevin Chad Vereecke, of St. Paul, was inside, Ernster said.

Vereecke was suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and officers got a warrant to take a blood sample, Ernster said. Vereecke was booked into Ramsey County Jail on probable cause criminal vehicular operation.

The crash remains under investigation.