A trucker was texting or using an app when he slammed into a car stopped at a red light Tuesday on a highway in Lake Elmo, instantly killing that driver.
The impact was so violent that officers were unable to determine the make or model of the car, which came to rest against a cable median barrier in the eastbound lanes of Hwy. 36 at Lake Elmo Avenue. The victim inside, Robert J. Bursik, was extracted after it had been towed from the scene, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Washington County District Court.
Truck driver Samuel W. Hicks, 28, of Independence, Wis., was charged with criminal vehicular homicide and operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner in connection with the crash, which occurred at 12:13 p.m.
Hicks made no effort to stop, was going 63 miles per hour and had been on the phone for eight seconds before he struck Bursik's vehicle, later determined to be a Toyota Scion, the charges said.
According to the charges, Hicks had been driving since 4:45 a.m. and was familiar with the highway as he drove it about once a week.
He told investigators that from a distance he observed a green light at Lake Elmo Avenue. He said he was distracted by another vehicle and turned to look before he plowed into the back of Bursik's car, pushing the rear end of the Scion as far forward as the driver's side door.
Hicks later admitted that he was using his phone while texting with his girlfriend and using an app to look up information about a house.
Video from the cab obtained by the State Patrol showed two views, one of Hicks inside the cab and the other of the road ahead. The view from inside the cab showed Hicks driving with his phone in his right hand texting or using an app.
