Grand Jury Indicts Semi-Truck Driver in Lakeville Crash That Killed Two Adults, Unleashed Bees

A semi-truck driver accused of setting off a chain-reaction crash last May that killed two women and an unborn child was indicted by a Dakota County Grand Jury on Monday.

Jason Styrbicky, 37, of Buffalo, has been charged by the grand jury with three counts of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of careless driving for his role in a massive crash on May 24, 2010, on northbound Interstate 35, near County Road 70 in Lakeville.

Pamela Brinkhaus, 50, of Elko New Market, and Kari Rasmussen, 24, of St. Anthony, and her unborn child were killed in the crash.

The Dakota County Attorney’s Office says Styrbicky had been driving his semi at full speed when he rear-ended the cars driven by Brinkhaus and Rasmussen, which were both stopped in traffic along the interstate. Highway workers had reduced the two lane interstate to one lane, causing the backup.

Styrbicky's truck crushed the cars between his semi-truck and that of the semi-truck in front of him, according to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office. The chain reaction crash unleashed bees that were stored in the other semi, hindering rescue efforts.

According to the criminal complaint, Styrbicky did not brake or slow his truck before slamming into the rear of both cars, despite MnDOT warning signs about a lane closure ahead.

The complaint also states he told investigators with the Minnesota State Patrol that he had been reaching down to the floor of his truck’s cab to retrieve an energy drink. By the time he looked up and saw what was in front of him, he could not stop.

Investigatiors determined Styrbicky's truck was in good operating condition prior to the crash, the complaint says.

Styrbicky made his first court appearance on the indictment Monday morning. Judge Martha Simonett set bail at $100,000 without conditions and no bail with conditions. Styrbicky’s next court appearance is at 9 a.m. July 25 in Hastings.