Charges for man accused of injuring two women at Hudson boat launch
A St. Paul man has been charged in connection with an incident in Hudson on July 2 in which two people were struck by a vehicle at the Hudson boat launch.
Thaddeus John Smith, 34, is charged with one count of operating while intoxicated causing injury, one count of hit and run and one count of reckless driving causing great bodily harm.
On July 2, a Hudson police officer pulled Smith over on I-94 after matching his vehicle’s license plate to the plate of a vehicle that had just run over multiple people at the Hudson boat launch.
Smith consented to get his blood drawn and was brought to Hudson Hospital for a sample. Law enforcement later brought him to St. Croix County Jail.
RELATED: 2 pedestrians injured after being struck by vehicle at Hudson boat launch, 1 in custody
A witness who had been riding in Smith’s vehicle told law enforcement that they had stopped at a liquor store before driving to the Hudson boat launch to meet friends and watch fireworks, according to an initial complaint. The witness noted that when they were leaving, she suspected Smith was intoxicated and asked to drive the vehicle, but Smith refused to let her.
While working their way through the line to leave fireworks, the witness explained that a white vehicle cut them off. The complaint adds that the driver of the white vehicle then got out of the car and started accusing Smith of hitting him.
Several witnesses told law enforcement that they saw the driver of the white vehicle return to his car and back into Smith’s vehicle.
A woman that witnesses say was also in the white vehicle was filming the incident, according to the complaint. The witness in Smith’s vehicle reported that this woman was blocking Smith’s path away from the white vehicle.
The witness added that Smith decided to get away from the driver of the white vehicle and drove in the direction of the woman who was filming. Witnesses say Smith hit the woman and another woman on a bicycle while leaving.
An initial report said the woman on the bicycle suffered a broken pelvis, broken ribs, a collapse of both lungs and injuries to her foot that will potentially need to be amputated. The extent of the injuries to the woman who was recording is unknown at the time of this publishing.