st. paul

Tito F. Campbell knew he was too drunk to drive and knew the police were already on their way when he hopped in his ex-girlfriend's car -- with his 10-year-old son in tow -- and led squads on a high-speed chase down Hwy. 36 and Interstate 35E into Maplewood.

As he exited at Larpenteur Avenue E. and sped through a red light, he collided with a car carrying a married couple of almost 30 years, prosecutor Sarah Cory told a jury Monday in her opening statement.

Zong Xiong, 49, and his wife, Shoua Vang, were headed home from the Maplewood Mall the evening of April 18. Vang, 48, never made it. She was pronounced dead at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

Campbell, 33, is charged in Ramsey County District Court with criminal vehicular homicide, fleeing police and a host of other charges.

In his opening statement, defense attorney John Sadowski reminded the jury that Campbell is innocent until proven guilty. There's "no doubt" that Campbell made some bad decisions, but that "does not alleviate the state's burden to prove each and every charge beyond a reasonable doubt," he said.

Kathleen Gustafson testified that she was in the parking lot of her apartment building when she saw the crash. She ran to the scene and grabbed a boy -- Campbell's son -- who had climbed out of the front seat of a car.

"It's a mother's instinct," she said. "He was just so upset, crying, telling me 'My dad, my dad, my dad.' "

Others were tending to the couple in the other car.

Roseville police officer Tom Pitzl testified that he was called to a report of an assault and motor vehicle theft in Roseville about 20 minutes before the crash. There, he met with Amanda Mueller, the owner of a 2007 Chrysler 300. As they talked, they saw the car leave the underground garage, head east to Dale Street and turn right.

Another officer, Dennis Kim, said he was driving north on Dale when he saw the Chrysler driving south. Kim gave chase.

"The driver looked at me and continued south," Kim said. He said he saw the car take the entrance ramp to eastbound Hwy. 36. He estimated the suspect was going 90 miles per hour, weaving in and out of traffic and driving on the shoulder. Kim lost sight of the car after it turned onto southbound I-35E. Minutes later, he learned of the crash.

Campbell's blood-alcohol content was 0.15 percent within two hours of the accident, Cory told the jury. Other witnesses testified that the defendant's driver's license has been canceled since February 2007. He has multiple drunken-driving convictions on his record, as well as domestic assault, disorderly conduct and drug possession.

Pat Pheifer • 612-741-4992