19-year-old Charged After Crashing Tesla, Injuring 4
Image via video posted to Citizen
Ramsey County prosecutors have charged a 19-year-old man with three felony counts of criminal vehicular operation causing substantial bodily harm after he was allegedly speeding down Virginia Street last Sunday, struck a building and another vehicle.
The suspect, Dung Dinh Pham, also faces a gross misdemeanor charge of criminal vehicular operation causing bodily harm.
According to the criminal complaint, police and rescue crews were called to the intersection of Como Ave. & Virginia St. just after 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 30. Crews arrived and found a silver Lexus in the intersection with a white Tesla slammed into a business on the north side of the road.
According to the driver of the Lexus, she was attempting to make a left turn onto Como Ave. from Virginia St.. The driver told police she saw the traffic light a block away turn green and the Tesla start to move, but she believed she had enough time to complete her left turn. During the left turn, she noticed the Tesla was speeding towards her and tried to get out of the intersection, but the driver of the Tesla swerved into oncoming lanes, striking her vehicle and causing it to roll multiple times.
The driver of the Lexus was reportedly trapped inside her vehicle after the crash, was confused, and in-and-out of consciousness. Doctors determined she suffered multiple rib fractures and a broken tailbone as a result of the crash.
Pham was found walking outside of the Tesla and told officers that the three individuals on the ground were his passengers. Two passengers in the Tesla suffered spinal fractures while another suffered leg pain.
Pham later admitted to police that he had smoked marijuana about an hour and a half before the crash and said he was traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit at the time of the crash.
Police obtained a search warrant to obtain a sample of Pham’s blood, but the results are currently pending.
According to court records, Pham was released with no bail but with conditions including no driving, compliance with an alcohol monitoring program and to remain law-abiding. Pham is scheduled to make his next court appearance on June 12.
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