10-year term for man who killed passenger in north metro crash while fleeing police

A St. Paul man has received a 10-year sentence for fleeing police in the north metro before "intentionally traveling into oncoming traffic" in a stolen car and killing his passenger in a head-on crash.

Joseph M. Cady, 42, was sentenced in Anoka County District Court after pleading guilty to criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation in the July 11, 2022, collision that killed Jessica Lynn Sellers, 30, of St. Paul, and seriously injured the other driver.

With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Cady is expected to serve the first 6 ²⁄₃ years in prison and the balance on supervised release.

Along with killing Sellers, the wreck in Linwood Township left the other motorist, 60-year-old Debra L. Hirsch, of Wyoming, Minn., with many broken bones and other trauma, the charges read. Hirsch had two dogs with her. One died, and the other survived with severe injuries, the charges continued.

Hirsch was 15 minutes from home after spending time at the family cabin, according to an online fund-raising page started by her son Nicholas Hirsch in an effort to cover medical expenses.

In an update four weeks after the crash, Nicholas Hirsch said the surviving dog, Lily, "has taken this very hard. She's definitely not the same pup as before the accident.."

Minnesota court records show that Cady's criminal history is as long as it is varied. He's been convicted six times for theft, three times for illegal weapons possession, twice for violating no-contact orders and once each for forgery, disorderly conduct, credit card fraud, drug possession, terroristic threats, driving with a suspended license and speeding.

Cady stole items from the Cartfull store in North Branch about 10:50 a.m. and soon was fleeing deputies and police on westbound NE. Viking Boulevard. He crossed a double yellow line on a curve to pass a truck and collided with an oncoming SUV. Both vehicles became engulfed in flames.

An air ambulance took Cady and Sellers to HCMC, where she died early that afternoon. The injured Hirsch had cuts, broken bones in her feet and cracked ribs.

At the time of the collision, a State Patrol investigation found that Cady was traveling 79 to 86 mph and Hirsch at 43 to 47 mph. The speed limit at that spot is 50 mph.