Man pleads guilty in crash following drunken chase that injured 2 siblings

A 19-year-old pleaded guilty this week in connection with a drunken driving crash that seriously injured two siblings.

According to court records, Matthew Sukhram entered a Norgaard plea to two counts of criminal vehicular operation. He had initially been charged with four counts of criminal vehicular operation and one count of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.

As previously reported, a Ramsey County deputy was merging onto I-35W on the evening of Sept. 16 when he saw a car going over 100 mph.

According to the criminal complaint, a short chase ensued but the deputy lost sight of the car.

The speeding vehicle crashed into another car on 29th Avenue and New Brighton Boulevard in St. Anthony. Sukhram smelled of alcohol and had a BAC of .093, court documents state.

The other vehicle was on its side and the 21-year-old driver was unconscious. They were later stabilized at the hospital.

A boy who was in the car, identified as the driver’s brother, was taken to the hospital and a pediatric doctor told police he was the worst pediatric case she’d ever seen. He was later diagnosed with two brain bleeds, brain hematomas and extensive internal injuries to his liver, spleen and kidneys. Court documents state he also needed to have surgery to have part of his stomach removed.

Sukhram told investigators he had been pulled over earlier that morning for reckless driving over 102 mph and was “pissed off about it.”

Court documents state that Sukhram never asked about the condition of the people in the car he hit and was only concerned about how much his bail would be.

Sukhram is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24.