A drunken ex-con, speeding with his vehicle's headlights off after midnight, pushed the accelerator even harder before striking and killing a pedestrian in Grand Rapids, Minn., authorities allege.
Speeding and drunk: Ex-con hits and kills pedestrian, charges allege
June 10, 2008 at 3:05PM
Michael A. Lane Jr., 21, was charged Monday with criminal vehicular homicide in Itasca County District Court.
His father, Michael A. Lane Sr., 45, in the vehicle at the time, was charged with two felonies for allegedly trying to dupe police into believing that he was behind the wheel before 12:30 a.m. on June 8, when the vehicle hit the man and then a truck.
Killed on Hwy. 169 near the Lakes Inn was Joseph D. Olson, 57, of Grand Rapids.
According to the criminal complaint:
The younger Lane, of Grand Rapids, had a blood-alcohol reading of .21 percent more than two hours after the incident. That's nearly three times the legal limit for driving. Lane Sr., also of Grand Rapids, was at .24 percent about an hour after the crash.
A woman in the vehicle with the Lanes said the two men had been drinking since 3 p.m. the previous day. She said Lane Jr. was driving 65 miles per hour, prompting her to warn him to slow down. He responded by speeding up. Soon after, the vehicle struck Olson, who was in the road, and then the truck. The truck's occupants told police that the Lane vehicle did not have its headlights on.
Lane Sr. told his son to flee the scene. They left the road, where the vehicle broke down. As they were walking, police approached them. The father began yelling at police to leave them alone and then lunged at one of the officers. Both were arrested.
Later that day, Lane Sr. told police that he was the one driving, not his son. But he soon acknowledged that he was just trying to protect his son.
The younger Lane was convicted in Missouri more than two years ago of felonies involving burglary, theft and drugs and was on supervised release at the time of the crash.
Lane Jr. remains in the county jail. His father posted bail and was released.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
The returns were filed on behalf of themselves and others, according to federal prosecutors.
