DRIVER FATALLY HIT PEDESTRIAN WHILE HE WAS BUSY JAMMING TO HIS FAVORITE SONG ON THE RADIO: POLICE

A Minnesota resident was arrested on suspicion of fatally striking a pedestrian while driving. The man revealed that he was "jamming out" to a song he loved on the radio and got carried away. The victim of the alleged accident has been identified as Justin McNeil. The incident took place on Highway 73 where Brent Keranen's car drove out of the lane and collided with McNeil who was walking on the shoulder of the road. Injuries sustained were very serious and despite best efforts, McNeil couldn't be revived. McNeil now faces charges of criminal vehicular homicide, as per Northern News.

Officials released the statement saying, “The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office and the Moose Lake Police Department would like to recognize the Minnesota Department of Corrections – Moose Lake staff who provided significant assistance by notifying the sheriff’s office and police department of the incident, identifying the driver responsible for striking Mr. McNeil as well as attempting immediate life-saving measures in an attempt to revive Mr. McNeil until medical, fire and law enforcement staff arrived.”

At the time of the accident, Keranan was returning home to northern Minnesota from Twin Cities, where he was employed. The investigators shared that the driver, in his statement, claimed that he was very tired after working long hours. He did not get a proper sleep having enjoyed alcoholic beverages the night before with his friends. He also mentioned being stopped by a trooper’s squad vehicle when leaving the metro area during his ride that day on the account of being caught asleep while driving. No further steps were taken and he was released a few hours before the tragic accident. The troop confirmed that the driver had been stopped by them. They did a preliminary breath test on him, which showed that he was .066 lower than the legal limit of 0.08. He was released with a citation but continued driving.

While being questioned by the police, Keranan allegedly claimed that he was playing "air guitars" listening to a song he loved on the radio when the accident happened. The driver did not realize when his car had hit the pedestrian, as airbags had been deployed obstructing his vision immediately. The driver claimed that he was driving at 52 mph, in a 40 mph zone. At the site of the accident, the authorities saw signs of impairment and conducted another set of breath tests, but once again they found only 0.06 alcohol concentration in his system. Authorities then took a blood sample from Keranan and sent it to the Minnesota BCA for further testing. The motorist is now looking at up to 10 years behind bars for the charges leveled against him.