Alleged driver charged in deadly St. Paul hit-and-run crash

A man suspected of fatally hitting a person in a mobility scooter and driving away is now facing a felony charge.

Erick Gabriel Fuentes-Morales, 21, is charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the crash Wednesday night on St. Paul’s East Side.

A criminal complaint alleges Fuentes-Morales hit a 66-year-old victim around 9:10 p.m. near the intersection of Phalen Boulevard and Rose Avenue. The victim, identified by police as 66-year-old Donald J. Piele of St. Paul, was taken to the hospital but died the next day.

RELATED: No arrests after car hits, kills man in mobility scooter on St. Paul’s East Side

Surveillance footage of the crash shows a black Nissan Sentra speeding north on Phalen Boulevard when it hit the victim in a mobility scooter. The car allegedly stopped for a moment before continuing on its way.

Two days after the crash, police found Fuentes-Morales’ Nissan at his home on Ivy Avenue East. The car had front-end damage and was missing pieces similar to the debris found at the crash scene, the complaint states.

Fuentes-Morales initially said his car was damaged when he hit a telephone pole but then admitted to hitting a person when officers said the crash was captured on video. He said he didn’t see the victim until it was too late.

Fuentes-Morales denied having any alcohol the night of the crash but said he had smoked marijuana in the hour leading up to the crash.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Fuentes-Morales was listed in custody at the Ramsey County Jail on a $100,000 bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

The post Alleged driver charged in deadly St. Paul hit-and-run crash first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.