Man sentenced to nearly 8 years for fatal Brooklyn Park crash in stolen car
Adam Hunter Pattishall (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office)
A St. Paul man learned his punishment Friday after driving a stolen car while under the influence of methamphetamine and fentanyl and crashing into another vehicle, which killed one man and severely injured a woman.
Adam Hunter Pattishall, 23, was sentenced to nearly eight years (92 months) for the death of Daniel Fisher, 57, and a concurrent 48-month sentence for severely injuring Fisher’s wife.
Pattishall entered a guilty plea to one count of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation on March 13 in exchange for 92 months in prison.
He was initially charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide, one count of criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm and one count of third-degree drug possession.
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“Driving under the influence of any controlled substance is extraordinarily dangerous and will be taken seriously in Hennepin County,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “People struggling with addiction deserve a chance to get help, but when someone takes the step to drive under the influence and causes a terrible, life-altering tragedy like this, there must be significant accountability. I’m hopeful the Fisher family receives some comfort from this outcome.”
A criminal complaint states that on May 15, 2022, at around 7:18 a.m., an Osseo police officer saw a white Chevrolet Silverado speed out of a parking lot at 401 County Road 81 in Osseo. The officer did not chase the vehicle but noted it had writing on the side and a single, male occupant, later identified as Pattishall.
The officer added that the Silverado ran a stop sign before continuing south on County Highway 81.
A short time later, witnesses reported seeing the Silverado crash into a red Kia Sportage from behind at high speed. The complaint states that a man was found dead in the driver’s seat and a woman in the passenger seat was severely injured.
A witness who saw the crash estimated that Pattishall was driving about 70 mph at the time of the incident, adding that she did not see brake lights on the Silverado as it hit the Kia.
The complaint states that Pattishall was then seen running from the scene toward several nearby businesses. Officers arrested Pattishall after spotting him leaving a gas station, where he reportedly changed clothes and discarded his key fob.
The Silverado that Pattishall was driving had been stolen earlier that morning during a burglary of a business, charging documents state.
Pattishall told officers he had taken heroin prior to the incident, according to the complaint. Officers searched Pattishall and found 12.6 grams of methamphetamine.
The injured woman was diagnosed with a brain bleed and a fractured back and has had several emergency surgeries in connection with injuries from the crash.