Man Charged After Sister Thrown from Motorcycle in Hit-and-Run Crash

Aug 5

*The scene of a serious injury crash in Saint Paul Park on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025.* ***MN CRIME PHOTO***

A 70-year-old man is charged after authorities say he caused a motorcycle crash that seriously injured his sister, then fled the scene while intoxicated.

Lonnie William Cory is charged with one count of criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm for a crash that happened just after 8 p.m. Sunday along northbound Highway 61 near Summit Avenue in Saint Paul Park.

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Officers arrived to find Cory’s sister lying motionless on the right shoulder of the highway. Witnesses initially believed she had died, but medics confirmed she was alive with a severe head injury and rushed her to Regions Hospital. Doctors later confirmed she suffered permanent disfigurement and was currently intubated in critical condition as of the latest update.

PREVIOUSLY: Alcohol Suspected in Motorcycle Crash That Severely Injured Woman

A witness driving behind the pair told officers he was going about 80 mph when a motorcycle passed him with a female passenger on the back. The witness said Cory flipped him off before attempting to pass a Land Rover in the left lane. According to the statement, Cory struck the back bumper of the Land Rover which caused the motorcycle to wobble and threw the passenger off. Cory did not stop and left the scene of the crash.

Investigators reviewed dashcam and MnDOT traffic camera footage, which captured the crash and showed the driver briefly stopping at the top of the next exit ramp. Instead of returning to the scene, he looked back and drove away southbound, past the scene where his sister was lying injured.

Officers tracked the motorcycle’s license plate to Cory’s home in Inver Grove Heights. Cory told officers he had just returned from riding and, without being asked, said, “Is my sister ok?” He admitted he saw her fall from the motorcycle and got scared, so he kept going. He said the two had been returning from the No Name Bar in Prescott, Wisc.

Cory told police he had started drinking again after arriving home but admitted to drinking earlier in the day as well. During field sobriety tests, he failed the horizontal gaze nystagmus test and blew a .127 on a portable breath test. A blood draw was later conducted and those results are pending.

Cory made an initial court appearance on Tuesday morning. A judge set bail at $75,000 with no conditions, or $35,000 with conditions including no alcohol use, random testing and completion of a chemical dependency evaluation. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

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