Man accused of being on phone during high speed fatal crash sentenced to over 9 years

A man accused of driving over 150 mph and being on his phone during a fatal car accident was sentenced to prison for over nine and a half years(116 months) Monday.

Hunter Michael Buckentine, 24, will get credit for 430 days served and must pay more than $1800 in restitution.

Buckentine had been facing numerous charges, including third-degree murder, in connection to a fatal crash before he made a guilty plea.

On August 19, 2023, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper reportedly witnessed a vehicle driving at 130 mph on Highway 10 between Becker and Clear Lake around 1 a.m.

The speed limit was 60 mph.

While the trooper lost sight of the vehicle, they later came across the scene of a crash where a Chevrolet Cobalt and an Infiniti Q50 had crashed. Two people were injured in the Cobalt, one of which died from their injuries, while the other was flown to the hospital.

Law enforcement later determined that Buckentine was the driver of the Infiniti Q50 after speaking with a passenger who was with him during the crash.

The passenger said Buckentine had driven up to 150 mph at one point after leaving a bar, took a photo of the speedometer, and posted it on Snapchat just before they crashed into the Cobalt. He said Buckentine then fled the car, with the passenger following him until losing sight of him.

Buckentine was later located, where he told police that he had no recollection of leaving the bar and didn’t remember being drunk but admitted to having two drinks. He also confirmed that he was the owner of the Infiniti.

Buckentine’s Snapchat data obtained by investigators later showed he’d posted a picture of the Infiniti’s speedometer at 150 mph with the caption, “new record,” just before the crash.