Accident – Death – Obituary News :
In a tragic incident that occurred last summer in St. Paul, a man has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide after allegedly striking and killing a pedestrian. The accused, Abdirahman Ali Hassan, was driving more than three times the posted speed limit at the time of the crash, according to charging documents.
Details of the Incident
The incident took place on Concordia Avenue after the accused had exited from Interstate 94 at Dale Street. Tashawn Burks, a 31-year-old pedestrian, was walking north across Concordia when he was hit by Hassan’s vehicle. A witness at the scene reported that Burks was halfway across the street when they heard a vehicle revving its engine. The white sedan driven by Hassan then charged through the intersection, hitting Burks and sending him airborne before fleeing the scene.
Despite suffering significant injuries, Burks was pronounced dead at the scene. Hassan was later found in a state of shock and covered in glass and blood splatter, indicating the severity of the crash. A blood draw revealed that Hassan was sober at the time of the incident, but data from the vehicle’s event data recorder confirmed the high speeds at which he was driving.
Speeding and Recklessness
The event data recorder in Hassan’s white Hyundai Sonata showed that five seconds before the crash, the vehicle was travelling at 62.8 mph. By the time of impact, the speed had increased to 77.7 mph, well above the 25 mph speed limit on Concordia Avenue. Dash camera footage from a stopped car at the intersection also indicated that the traffic light had been red for several seconds before the Sonata entered the camera’s field of view.
Legal Proceedings
Following the crash, Hassan was booked into custody by the police and initially held on suspicion of criminal vehicular operation. He has since been charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with Burks’ death. Despite the severity of the charges, Hassan was released without bail after being charged via summons on Monday.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of speeding and reckless driving on our roads. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Tashawn Burks during this difficult time.
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