On February 16, 2026, at approximately 8:25 A.M., police were dispatched to a single vehicle crash on southbound Interstate 35E near Cayuga Street in St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota. Dispatch advised that a male walking away from the crash ditched a black backpack. Upon arrival, police observed a pick-up truck that crashed into a construction message board and took out numerous traffic control barrels. The person standing outside the truck was identified as MATTHEW WARREN RYHN – [DOB REDACTED]. RYHN said he was driving his truck when another vehicle swerved into his truck, which caused him to swerve and avoid the other vehicle.
While speaking with RYHN, the trooper observed that RYHN appeared to be under the influence of narcotics. Initially, RYHN was not forthcoming about the backpack, but when confronted with information that cameras captured him ditching the backpack, RYHN admitted that he had heroin and needles in the backpack. RYHN told the trooper that he injected heroin the previous night around 6:30 P.M. And also took Lorazepam. The trooper administered field sobriety tests. During the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, the trooper observed pinpoint pupils in both of RYHN’s eyes, RYHN’s eyes darting around while watching stimulus, and RYHN’s body swaying side to side.
During the Walk and Turn test, the trooper noted that RYHN stepped off the line, did not touch heel to toe, used his arms for balance, made an improper turn by failing to turn on the correct foot, and took an incorrect number of steps. During the One Leg Stand test, the trooper observed that RYHN swayed while balancing, used his arms for balance, hopped, and put his foot down. During the Modified Romberg test, the trooper noted that RYHN swayed, had observable eyelid tremors, and estimated that 30 seconds passed in 54 seconds.
Another trooper arrived on scene and recovered RYHN’s backpack. Inside the backpack, police found a prescription bottle containing a clear plastic baggie containing suspected narcotics. The backpack also contained a zipper-bag, which was an apparent “drug kit” containing spoons, multiple used needles, and elastic-style tourniquets. Following a Miranda advisory, RYHN told the trooper that he used syringes with a friend around 6:30 P.M. RYHN said he believed that the syringes contained heroin and possibly fentanyl.
RYHN reported that he felt fine to drive and another vehicle forced his truck off the road, which caused the crash. Presumptive testing on the suspected narcotics recovered from RYHN’s backpack yielded a positive result for methamphetamine with a weight of 4.0 grams. Pursuant to a search warrant, RYHN provided a blood sample. RYHN’s blood sample was submitted to the Minnesota BCA for testing. The BCA’s lab report indicates that RYHN’s blood sample contained amphetamine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and norfentanyl.
