The driver of a U-Haul truck was killed in a Mall of America parking ramp Friday evening, Aug. 3, after the top of the vehicle struck a low-clearance crossbeam, triggering a collapse of concrete and steel that pinned the driver into his seat.

Two passengers in the rental truck were hospitalized with what were believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.

Bloomington police officers called to the scene at 8:10 p.m. reported to dispatchers, “One trapped, he’s still alive. He’s got the entire roof pinned onto his chest,” according to an audio recording made by PoliceClips, an online scanner site.

But an hour later, police confirmed that the approximately 52-year-old driver, still pinned inside the truck by the 20-foot-long crossbeam, had died. His identity was not immediately released.

The U-Haul’s two passengers — also unidentified — were outside the vehicle when rescue crews arrived. Both were taken to an area hospital for evaluation; their conditions were unknown late Friday, though police said their injuries appeared not to be serious.

According to Bloomington police, the collapse occurred when the panel truck entered the north entrance of the second floor of the mall’s west ramp, near Nordstrom’s. The truck hit a reinforced-concrete crossbeam spanning the traffic lanes.

Deputy Police Chief Rick Hart said that according to witnesses and the vehicle’s other occupants, the driver “apparently misjudged the height of the van.”

The ramp’s entrance includes signage indicating a 7-foot clearance. The U-Haul truck appeared to be a 14-foot-long model, which has a 10-foot clearance, according to vehicle specifications on U-Haul’s website.

A structural engineering team was on the scene late Friday to assess the ramp’s integrity. While those parked at the mall Friday evening were able to leave the ramp through its south exit, it was unclear how much of the parking structure would be open Saturday.

The investigation of the incident continued late Friday.

Tad Vezner can be reached at 651-228-5461.