Driver Charged in 80-MPH Crash That Killed East Bethel Woman
Still image from traffic camera after the fatal crash. via MnDOT
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A driver has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide after he drove nearly 80 miles per hour, failed to brake and slammed into an SUV in East Bethel earlier this year, killing its driver, prosecutors say.
Jeremy Robert Lind, 28, of Ham Lake, is accused of causing the June 13 fatal crash at Highway 65 and Sims Road NE that left 74-year-old Audrey Marie Evans dead at the scene.
Deputies arrived to find a Chevrolet Silverado with heavy front end damage in the median and a Chevrolet Equinox overturned in the westbound ditch. Evans had severe head trauma and was not breathing when first responders reached her. She was pronounced dead there a short time later.
PREVIOUSLY: Highway 65 Crash Leaves Woman Dead in East Bethel
Minnesota State Patrol reviewed traffic camera video showing Evans fully stopped for a red light at 10:28:47 a.m. After waiting through the cycle, her vehicle began to move slightly forward and to the right at 10:29:28. Two seconds later the Silverado driven by Lind crashed into the rear of her SUV.
People driving on Highway 65 told investigators they saw Lind moving far above the speed limit. One driver said he had been traveling about 75 miles per hour when Lind passed him on the right at an estimated 82. Another said he was stopped at the light with Evans’ vehicle beside him and saw her attempt to move to the right before impact. Others described the Silverado weaving for no apparent reason and traveling between 80 and 85 miles per hour for several miles. One witness said the truck made no attempt to brake or swerve before hitting the Equinox at the red light.
> Sign up for the MN CRIME newsletter
Crash data from the Silverado’s airbag control module showed the truck accelerating in the moments before the crash and recorded speeds between 79 and 86 miles per hour. Investigators reported no braking before impact.
Lind told a detective he believed he had been going 65 to 70 miles per hour and said he thought the light might have been changing. He could not explain the collision. He is required to wear corrective lenses but was not wearing glasses or contacts at the time.
Two passengers were in the truck. One told investigators he was looking at an iPad while discussing auto parts with Lind but thought Lind was watching the road. The other said she believed Lind had been driving too fast.
Detectives also learned Lind had been involved in three crashes in the past three years. In two of those incidents he was the only driver involved and investigators determined his lack of attention appeared to be the cause.
READ MORE > Anoka County coverage
Court records show Lind has two prior criminal cases in Anoka County, including a 2015 impaired driving conviction and two felony convictions from a 2016 incident. In December 2015 officers arrested him for driving under the influence of a controlled substance. One DWI count was dismissed but he was convicted of a misdemeanor DWI for the Dec. 20, 2015 offense. A marijuana possession count was dismissed.
Months later, in July 2016 prosecutors charged him in a separate case involving a Feb. 9, 2016 offense. Lind was convicted of first-degree burglary and fifth-degree controlled substance sale, both felonies. A charge of first-degree criminal damage to property was dismissed as part of the resolution of that case.
Lind is now charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide for operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner. He was summoned to appear in Anoka County District Court and a booking photo is not yet available. The felony carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Authorities have not released any additional updates about the case.
> See more of our latest coverage
Follow on X or YouTube for more
> Help make MN safer with real-time alerts, LIVE video, 24/7 Safety Agents & much more: Download Citizen now
