Man pleads guilty in fatal crash that killed south metro priest

A man charged in connection to a crash that killed a south metro priest back in 2021 has agreed to plead guilty.

Trejean Derrell Curry, 28, entered the plea Tuesday, a day before his trial had been scheduled to start.

He’s charged with criminal vehicular homicide for the Oct. 25, 2021, crash that killed 73-year-old Dennis Dempsey, a priest at the Church of the Risen Savior in Burnsville.

It happened at around 3:30 p.m. that day along County Road 42, west of Auburn Avenue, in Rosemount. Curry’s license was revoked at the time, according to court documents.

“Father Dempsey’s death serves as yet another tragic and painful reminder as to why it’s so extremely important for drivers to give their full attention to the road when they get behind the wheel,” Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said. “My sincere condolences to the friends, family members and loved ones of Father Dempsey.”

According to Curry’s plea deal, he’s expected to receive a stay of imposition and up to five years of probation, with the possibility of up to a month at the jail for each year of probation he’s ordered to serve.

His sentencing hearing is now set for Feb. 15.