Man convicted of fatal DWI involved in another crash

Fatal crash
This October, 2006 photo shows the car crash which claimed the life of Deanna Casey, 16, of Inver Grove Heights. The driver of the car, who was legally drunk, was convicted of criminal vehicular homicide and served four years in prison. He was arrested again earlier this week on suspicion of driving while impaired.
Photo courtesy of the Minn. Department of Public Safety

A man who was previously convicted in a fatal DWI case has been arrested again for driving while impaired, officials said.

The 32-year-old Shoreview man was convicted of criminal vehicular homicide in 2006 for a crash that caused the death of Deanna Casey, 16, of Inver Grove Heights. He was released from prison in January after serving nearly four years.

He was involved in another crash early Tuesday morning, along I-94 outside of the Lowry tunnel, said Capt. Matt Langer of the State Patrol at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

The man allegedly rear-ended a car that was stalled in the middle lane of the freeway. Three people were in the car and suffered minor injuries, Langer said.

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Langer said two troopers happened to be nearby responding to another stalled car when the accident occurred. The suspect fled on foot, but was tackled by one of the troopers who subdued the man with a taser, according to the State Patrol. Troopers smelled alcohol on the man's breath, but the official blood alcohol results will not be released for several weeks, Langer said.

The suspect was arrested and booked at Hennepin County Jail. He has not yet been charged.

"In this case, you have someone who killed a girl when he was drunk, was convicted, sentenced, and went to prison -- and then six months after he's released is out doing it again," Langer said. "What does it take for someone like this to learn that getting behind the wheel after you've been drinking is not a good idea?"

Catherine Casey's daughter was killed in 2006
Catherine Casey says she's "outraged" that the man imprisoned for killing her daughter in a 2006 DWI crash has been arrested in another alcohol-related crash, just months after his release.
MPR Photo/Tim Nelson

Catherine Casey, the mother of Deanna Casey, said she learned of the accident from her sister, who works at the State Patrol.

"It brought back all of the feelings of that phone call that I got when Deanna was killed," Casey said. "My stomach immediately got upset, and I was outraged. But I also felt like I knew that it would happen again because ... I didn't feel like he understood what he did, or that he cared what he did."

Casey said she hopes that elected officials will consider stiffer penalties for driving while intoxicated, adding she still thinks some offenders can be rehabilitated.

"I feel with stiffer penalties, people would think twice before they go out," she said. "They'll get that cab. They'll have a sober driver, they'll make arrangements. But right now the penalties are not that severe."

Langer said the man could face charges for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest, in addition to other charges related to the crash.