A Minnesota teenager was struck by a motorist while riding his bike on the July 4 holiday weekend. The driver claimed that he had sneezed and caused him to lose control.
According to FOX9 NewsJoseph Friedges, 72, was charged with criminal vehicular homicide. Friedges claimed that his cruise control was set at 55 miles and that he lost control of the vehicle when he sneezed. FOX9 reports that prosecutors are not convinced by this story.
“All of a sudden, you know, his life gets taken away in a blink of an eye because somebody was negligent and drove and conducted themselves in a manner that’s not acceptable,”FOX9 interviewed Ron Hocevar, Scott County Attorney.
Braxton Sorenson, 15 years old, was biking near Cedar Lake when he was struck by a car and died.
First responders suspected that Friedges may have been drunk because he allegedly smelled of alcohol and they found a box of Smirnoff in the back seat, reported FOX9.
Friedges’ preliminary breath test result was .05 below the legal limit in Minnesota according to FOX9. Hocevar told the outlet that this will be brought up in the courtroom.”0.08 is strictly the legal standard that the legislature set as the limit,” Hocevar told FOX9. “But just because someone is below 0.08 does not mean that they were necessarily impaired,”
Heartbroken, the Sorenson family wrote a statement for FOX9 News.
“Braxton was a wonderful kid with great plans for the future. When he wasn’t spending time with his parents and younger siblings, his greatest joy was to be at church in worship and Bible study. As a member of the Civil Air Patrol, he looked forward to earning his pilot’s license and enjoyed his time with his unit,” the family wrote to the outlet.
“We miss Braxton dearly and pray, as Braxton would, that this would cause all who are affected to know the hope that Braxton had in the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The family launchedA GoFundMe was established in his memory.
Friedges appeared before the court on July 5. FOX9 reported that Friedges’ bond was set at $10,000 and that he must not drink. According to FOX9, his next court appearance is scheduled for July 18.