A 24-year-old Duluth man crashed a Jeep at high speed in Brookston, killing the passenger and snapping a power pole in half before coming to rest, according to charges.
The crash happened at about 3:46 a.m. on May 16, 2026, when Minnesota State Patrol troopers responded to an iPhone crash detection alert at an address in Saint Louis County. Officers arrived to find a Jeep with severe damage at the entrance of a driveway, airbags deployed and the vehicle next to a broken power pole. Troopers found the victim, an adult male passenger, unresponsive in the Jeep and began CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Lee Arthur Green Jr., 24, of Duluth, faces two counts of criminal vehicular homicide, one for operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more and another for operating a vehicle with negligence while under the influence of alcohol. He is also charged with two counts of driving while impaired, one for operating under the influence of alcohol and another for having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 within two hours, as well as driving after license revocation.
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According to the complaint, troopers identified Green as the driver. He told officers he had hit his head on the steering wheel and complained of abdominal and hip pain, so field sobriety tests were not performed. Troopers noted a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and observed bloodshot, watery eyes. Green admitted to drinking two beers before driving.
A search warrant was obtained for Green’s blood, which was sent to the BCA for analysis. Testing revealed an ethyl alcohol concentration of 0.125 grams per 100 milliliters of blood, along with 7.9 ng/ml of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
A crash reconstruction specialist determined the Jeep was traveling between 86 and 90 miles per hour in a 60 mile per hour zone when it left the roadway, became airborne for 159 feet, struck the ground and rotated onto its front bumper before hitting the power pole. The Jeep rolled after shearing the pole off at the ground and came to a stop nearby.
Investigators concluded that Green caused the crash by driving in a negligent manner while under the influence of alcohol and THC. The complaint notes that Green was previously convicted of fourth-degree driving while impaired in March 2025, and his driver’s license is currently revoked.
The charges were filed Tuesday in Saint Louis 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
Saint Louis County is Minnesota’s largest county by area, stretching from Duluth to the Canadian border. The Saint Louis County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felonies through the Sixth Judicial District; cases are heard at the Saint Louis County Courthouse in Duluth and the Virginia courthouse for cases north of the iron range.
