Man sentenced to 10 years in prison for fatal crash in Anoka County

A man who crashed head-on into another vehicle while fleeing law enforcement was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the death of his passenger after she died from injuries suffered in the crash.

Joseph Mario Cady, 42, was sentenced to 10 years (120 months) in prison on Friday after taking a plea deal in May that saw other charges dismissed.

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The crash resulted in the death of Cady’s passenger, 30-year-old Jessica Lynn Sellers.

A 59-year-old Wyoming woman suffered serious injuries but survived the crash, while one of the two dogs in the passenger’s seat of her vehicle died.

Court documents show Cady had meth in his system when he led police on the chase.

A criminal complaint states that Wyoming police responded to the Cartfull retail store on July 11, 2022, for a shoplifting report. They then spoke to an employee who gave them the license plate number of the fleeing vehicle and a description of Cady.

Deputies and police then pursued the vehicle, a stolen Kia Forte, westbound down Viking Boulevard in Linwood.

Court documents show that the Kia was then steered into the oncoming traffic lane to pass a truck.

The Kia then collided head-on with a Lincoln MKX sedan.

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Cady was also in critical condition after the crash but survived.

Minnesota State Patrol crash reconstruction data cited in court records show the Kia was traveling between 79 and 86 mph at the time of the crash — the speed limit in that area is 50 mph — and the cause of the crash was determined to be Cady’s “reckless driving.”