A Minneapolis man fled police in a running vehicle with open alcohol containers inside, crashed into a dirt wall, then tried to escape from custody at the hospital, prosecutors say.
Jostin Kevin Tipan Simbana, 28, faces three charges: refusing to submit to a chemical test for suspected DWI, fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and attempted escape from custody.
According to the complaint, officers responded around 9 a.m. on July 30, 2026, after a report of a male drinking with open alcohol containers in an orange vehicle parked and running near North 22nd Avenue and Dupont Avenue North in Minneapolis. Officers found the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road nearby and saw several open and possibly empty cans of Modelo Chelada scattered throughout the car.
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The sole occupant, later identified as Jostin Kevin Tipan Simbana, was in the driver’s seat.
Officers noted the odor of alcohol on his breath, bloodshot eyes and trouble focusing. Simbana initially denied drinking but then admitted to “a little bit.” Officers requested an interpreter and instructed him to exit the vehicle, but after initially agreeing, Simbana grabbed the steering wheel, put the car in drive and sped away, running stop signs.
Police pursued the vehicle and saw it crash into an angled dirt wall with a fence at the intersection of 26th Avenue North and Dupont Avenue North. Simbana exited the vehicle, fell to the ground, then got up and ran north on foot. Officers apprehended him after a short chase. He initially provided a false name, but officers determined his identity using IBIS.
Simbana was taken to Hennepin Healthcare due to the crash. At the hospital, officers obtained a search warrant for his urine or blood because of signs of impairment. Using an interpreter, they informed him that refusing to provide a sample was a crime. Simbana acknowledged this but still refused to give a sample.
While in custody in the hospital room, Simbana got up and ran out the door. Officers chased him as he got through the first set of double doors, but hospital security took him to the ground and he was returned to his room. Officers then handcuffed both of his hands to the hospital bed after he twisted in a motion consistent with winding up to punch.
Court records show Simbana has a prior felony DWI conviction from June 17, 2026 and a prior conviction for fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, both in the same case file.
The charges were filed August 10 in Hennepin County District Court.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s DWI statute is § 169A.20, with degrees defined under § 169A.24 through § 169A.27. A first-degree DWI is a felony carrying up to seven years in prison and triggered by three or more qualifying prior impaired-driving incidents within 10 years, a prior felony DWI, or a prior felony vehicular homicide. Second and third-degree DWI are gross-misdemeanor offenses.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
Edina Man Fled Police on Stolen Motorcycle Before Crashing • Man Accused in Drunk Driving Crash That Critically Injured Motorcyclist • Former Viking Adrian Peterson Arrested for DWI in Richfield
Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
