A Brooklyn Center man crashed his car at high speed, killing the passenger and leaving the vehicle in flames as bystanders rushed to help, according to charges.
Officers responded to the scene at about 7:20 a.m. on April 12, 2025, in Brooklyn Center after receiving reports of a serious motor vehicle crash. Civilian witnesses intervened, pulling the passenger from the wreck through the driver’s side door. The victim was in significantly worse condition than the driver and died at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash.
Johnny Lee Houston, 34, faces three counts of criminal vehicular homicide, one for operating a vehicle with negligence under the influence of a combination of alcohol and controlled substances, one for operating under the influence of alcohol and one for operating with an alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. He also faces a charge of 2nd-degree drug possession for fentanyl.
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According to court records, video footage captured the car traveling at a high rate of speed, drifting across lanes, breaking traffic laws and striking a semaphore before catching fire. Paramedics who treated Houston at the scene noted the smell of alcohol on his breath. Houston admitted to drinking before the crash.
At the hospital, a blood sample taken on admission showed Houston’s alcohol concentration at .141. A second sample, drawn about two and a half hours later under a search warrant, showed an alcohol concentration of .065 and the presence of delta-9 THC, hydroxy-THC and carboxy-THC. A nurse collected Houston’s clothing for law enforcement, who found 24.095 grams of fentanyl hidden in his sock.
The complaint notes that since the fatal crash, Houston was charged in a separate DUI case, which prosecutors cited as evidence of ongoing danger to public safety.
The charges were filed Wednesday, July 22, in Hennepin County District Court. A court date has not yet been set.
About This Charge
Minnesota charges criminal vehicular homicide under § 609.2112, a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison when a driver causes a death through negligence, intoxication or other qualifying conduct. Criminal vehicular operation causing injury is charged separately under § 609.2113, with penalties that scale to the degree of bodily harm. These offenses are distinct from murder and manslaughter, which require proof of a different mental state.
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
