Charges: Driver in fatal Minneapolis crash was drunk, speeding

A man involved in a fatal crash in Minneapolis back in December not only had a blood-alcohol level way above the legal limit but was also driving nearly three times faster than the speed limit, according to court documents.

Sylvester Terell Vaughn, 40, was charged late last month with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide for the Dec. 11 crash that killed 22-year-old Josiah Robert Oakley.

Vaughn was charged via warrant but was booked at Hennepin County jail Wednesday afternoon, jail records show. His first court appearance hasn’t yet been scheduled.

According to a criminal complaint, an officer saw Vaughn driving a gray SUV south on Lyndale Avenue North early on the morning of Dec. 11 and went to stop him for speeding. However, by the time the officer got to 42nd Avenue North, Vaughn’s SUV had been involved in a crash with a red car.

The driver of the red car, Oakley, died at the scene. Vaughn was taken to a hospital with what officers called “potentially life-threatening injuries” at the time.

Court documents note that Vaughn’s blood-alcohol content was .236, nearly three times the legal limit to drive. Additionally, crash reconstruction showed that he was driving 85-90 mph at the time of the crash, nearly three times the posted speed limit of 30 mph.

Surveillance video also showed Oakley had a green light when Vaughn’s SUV hit his car.

The complaint also notes Vaughn has a prior DWI conviction from 2019.