A man was arrested for criminal vehicular homicide after hitting a bicyclist in St. Paul. The victim worked at Brasa Restaurant in St. Paul and was on his way home from work when he was struck. The police have been looking for the suspect for over a month. He was hit on West Seventh Street and Grand Avenue and the driver fled the scene. Surveillance cameras showed the accident on camera. The vehicle was registered to Dustin Hegner- Royce’s mother who was also arrested for aiding and abetting her son. Hegner allegedly ran a red light just before striking the victim. Police located Hegner through an anonymous tip after police told the public about the car in question. The two have not been formally charged yet and the police are still investigating the case. Hegner has multiple citations on his driving record consisting of speeding, driving without a valid license, and failure to obey a traffic control device. After the investigation is complete, Hegner will likely be charged with criminal vehicular homicide. Stay tuned to the Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys blog for more updated on Hegner’s case.
Pursuant to Minnesota statute 609.2112, a motorist can be found guilty of criminal vehicular homicide in many ways. The statute lays out that a driver is guilty of criminal vehicular homicide when the person causes the death of a human as a result of operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner, in a negligent manner while under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or having an alcohol concentration of .08 or more or having an alcohol concentration of .08 within two hours of driving, in a negligent manner while knowingly under the influence of a hazardous substance or with any controlled substance listed in schedule I or II or its metabolite, when the driver causes the collision and leaves the scene of the accident, where the driver had actual knowledge that a peace officer had previously issued a citation or warning that the motor vehicle was defectively maintained, the driver had actual knowledge that remedial action was not taken, the driver had reason to know that the defect created a present danger to others, and the death was caused by the defective maintenance. In Hegner’s case the State will have to prove that he was the one operating the vehicle and that he operated the car in a negligent manner, which caused the collision. A person convicted of criminal vehicular homicide may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years and/or a fine of $20,000. Criminal vehicular homicide is a felony in Minnesota. In Minnesota, criminal vehicular homicide and injury can also result in the loss of license. Typically, the driver will receive a notice and order of revocation of a their driver’s license soon after the accident and before their first court appearance. The attorneys at Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys will investigate the case and will hire an accident reconstructionist on your behalf. It is best to hire a lawyer right after the accident. In some cases, the attorneys can help minimize the consequences before ever appearing in court.
If you have been charged with a traffic offense, specifically criminal vehicular homicide or criminal vehicular operation, contact Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys. A Minnesota Defense lawyer will be able to view the evidence and see what defenses apply in your case. A Minnesota county Defense lawyer can challenge the evidence in your case. Max Keller is a criminal lawyer in Minnesota. Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys offers free consultations. Max Keller has handled many traffic violation cases and has represented criminal vehicular homicide cases in the past. Please visit the firm’s website at www.kellerlawoffices.com. For more information about potential defenses, call 612-210-0629.
