On August 1, 2025, officers with the Minnesota State Patrol were dispatched to a multi-vehicle crash with injuries on northbound Interstate 35E north of Lone Oak Road in the City of Eagan, County of Dakota, Minnesota. The scene was documented and the drivers of two involved vehicles (Victim 1 and Victim 2) were transported via ambulance to be treated for life-threatening injuries. Investigators learned through crash reconstruction, witness accounts, and dash camera footage that Kou Lee, [DOB redacted], hereinafter Defendant, was driving a straight truck northbound on I-35E, when he failed to slow for traffic congestion in the right lane.
Defendant’s vehicle struck the rear of a Ford SUV driven by Victim 1, which was then pushed into a Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Victim 2. After the initial collision, the SUV was pushed out of the way, and the straight truck also struck the rear of the Chevrolet. This pushed the Chevrolet into the back of a Ford pickup truck driven by Victim 3. Defendant and his passenger, as well as Victim 3 and his passenger, reported no injuries. Victim 1 and Victim 2 suffered serious injuries. Victim 1 was non-responsive at the scene and was observed to have agonal breathing.
Victim 1 was diagnosed at the hospital with subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding on the brain), subdural hematoma, fracture of multiple ribs, and traumatic pneumothorax (collapsed lung). Victim 2 was found with the wheel of the straight truck just behind his seat, as the truck had driven partially on top of the Chevrolet that he was driving prior to coming to rest on the bed and cab of the Chevrolet. Victim 2 was diagnosed at the hospital with acute pain, lumbar vertebra fracture, and fracture of multiple ribs.
At the time of the crash, the weather was sunny, the sky was clear, and the road was dry. There were no environmental, mechanical, or other factors found to have played a role in the crash. Information obtained from Defendant’s vehicle revealed that Defendant did not take any evasive maneuvers to avoid the crash until 0.33 seconds before the crash. He did not apply his brakes until after the crash. Defendant claimed to have fallen asleep behind the wheel. However, dash cam footage from inside the cab of the straight tuck shows Defendant taking his eyes off the road and reaching for the center console area of the vehicle several times in the moments just before the crash.
Additionally, Victim 3 told 2 19HA-CR-26-614 Filed in District Court State of Minnesota 5/1/2026 law enforcement that before the crash, he had been behind the straight truck and observed that it was unable to maintain its lane. Victim 3 stated that he passed the straight truck and observed the driver on his cell phone just prior to the crash. A search warrant was executed on Defendant’s cell phone and showed that the phone’s screen display was turned on at 16:12:42 and remained on through the time of the crash.
