Charges filed against teen accused of injuring multiple people in Ted Drewes parking lot

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A suspect has been charged after multiple people were struck and injured by a car in the parking lot of Ted Drewes on Sunday.

In a statement, St. Louis Alderman Tom Oldenburg said, “Tragedy hangs especially heavy during the holiday season and my heart goes out to all those affected by the accident last evening. I hope that as we move forward with the public safety improvements already planned for the new year, we can continue the partnership with Ted Drewes and the City of St. Louis to ensure our residents can safely and confidently this busy and iconic St. Louis institution.”

Monday morning, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged Rasool Al Janabi with five counts of leaving the scene of an accident causing physical injury. According to charging documents, the 19-year-old drove past a barricade that had blocked off the entrance to Ted Drewes and hit at least five people with his car. He then reportedly backed up the vehicle, injuring another person who tried to stop him from leaving.

Al Janabi drove off without leaving any of his personal or insurance information. He was arrested when he returned to the scene on Sunday, according to St. Louis police spokesperson Mitch McCoy.

“It is by the grace of God nobody was killed and there were not more injuries,” McCoy said.

The morning after the incident, Ted Drewes posted on social media, “Our hearts go out to those who were injured in the incident that occurred last night as well as their families. We look forward to the safety improvements to Chippewa which the city plans to begin next month. Huge thank you to the customers who stepped up to help and the first responders on the scene. Their quick actions prevented this sad incident from becoming much worse.”

The incident happened just after 8 p.m. at Ted Drewes, 6726 Chippewa, in south St. Louis City. According to the fire department, six people were injured. One person is in critical condition, three are in serious condition, and two were taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons.

Police said the victims ranged from 12 to 82 years old. Police said all of the victims are expected to be okay. One of the victims was an off-duty police officer with another department. McCoy said that off-duty officer went to help clear the scene around the accident when he then ended up on the hood of the car and was hospitalized for a head injury.

Police on scene told First Alert 4 that a vehicle without a license plate turned left into the Ted Drewes parking lot and hit a group of people. That car then reversed back out onto Chippewa Street and left the scene.

On Monday, police said Al Janabi told investigators he was trying to avoid another car on the road and overcorrected, driving into a barricade and hitting those people.

“He got scared, he went home, he told his family what happened, and they returned him to the scene,” McCoy said. “We can confirm there was another family in the car as a enger at the time of the crash and confirmed what happened and better helped us understand the circumstances of the crash.”

“Our thoughts are first and foremost with those who have been injured and their families, and we are closely monitoring the situation. We are praying for those involved and grateful for first responders who reacted quickly to this incident,” read a statement from St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’ spokesperson, Conner Kerrigan.

Owen Dineen was at Ted Drewes Sunday night and said he heard tires screeching and then saw people on the ground.

“It was a real scary incident,” Dineen said. “We were right there. We had to step back. I people falling on me and kind of trying to hold people up.”

According to the Mayor’s Office, pedestrian safety improvements along Chippewa are scheduled for January- March of 2025. The office said the timing of the project is to take advantage of the business’s off-season, minimizing the impact on its operations.

In May 2023, First Alert 4 reported that the city had money for pedestrian protections on Chippewa and was in the design phase. In February 2024, First Alert 4 confirmed the project was delayed because of money.

The delays have continued, according to Kerrigan, because of supply delays.

Ted Drewes owner Travis Dillon said he’s happy those safety improvements will be added outside his business soon.

“A lot of times the supplies don’t come as soon as you wish, and that’s what the city has been letting us know that they would like to get all of the products together before they start the project,” Dillon said. “You never want someone to get hurt when they’re having fun at Ted Drewes. I feel very bad about it and I’ve been praying for the injured.”

The project includes adding bump-out ballards to the road, relocating a parking lot, adding an accessible new crosswalk, better lighting for visibility and a camera that will be connected to the Real Time Crime Center.

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