Charges: Motorist high on cocaine, other drugs when he killed other driver in wrong-way crash in Edina

A 58-year-old man was high on a host of illicit drugs and driving on a suspended license when he slipped through a highway barrier and killed another motorist in a wrong-way collision in Edina, according to charges.

Selmon D. Rogers, of St. Paul, was charged in Hennepin County District Court last week with criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation in connection with the crash on Jan. 28, 2021, that killed Abdi A. Isack, 22, of North Mankato, Minn.

Rogers was booked into jail Monday night in Clay County, Minn., a jail official said, and handed over Tuesday to authorities in the Twin Cities ahead of an anticipated first court appearance sometime this week.

According to the charges:

Rogers was heading north on Hwy. 169 near the Bren Road exit about 2:40 p.m., when he crossed "through the opening between the barriers" and collided head-on with Isack's car, the criminal complaint read.

A State Patrol investigation concluded that Rogers failed "to take any evasive or corrective action" before the collision.

Another motorist told troopers at the scene that he was in front of Isack's car and swerved out of the way as the wrong-way SUV drew near. That meant Isack's car " 'received the brunt of it,' " the complaint quoted the motorist as saying.

Testing of Rogers' blood by law enforcement revealed that at the time of the crash he had cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and THC, the active ingredient of marijuana, in his system.

Rogers was driving while his license was suspended, and he was on 25 years' probation at the time in connection with a felony drug-dealing conviction from October 2019 in Clay County. Judge Michael Fritz set aside a nearly five-year sentence in that case on the condition that Rogers stay away from illicit drugs.