A Blaine man was sentenced Wednesday to eight months in prison and five years’ probation for drunkenly driving more than 100 mph and crashing into an SUV in St. Anthony last fall, killing the 21-year-old driver and her young brother were seriously injured.
Matthew Sukhram, 19, pleaded guilty Feb. 21 in Ramsey County District Court to two counts of criminal vehicular operation under the influence of alcohol – one of causing serious bodily injury, the other of causing substantial bodily harm – in connection with the 16 crash at Minnesota 88 and 29th Avenue Northeast.
Soua Vang and her 10-year-old brother AV Vang were both diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage. Two days later, the boy’s condition was still described as “hour to hour,” according to the complaint. The boy was also diagnosed with severe internal injuries to his liver, spleen and kidneys, and underwent surgery to remove part of his stomach.
Sukhram was hospitalized with a fractured pelvis and a fractured spine. On Wednesday he appeared in court in a wheelchair.
Court records show Sukhram has been convicted of speeding four times since July 2021.
About seven hours before the crash, Sukhram was stopped in Blaine for speeding and cited for reckless driving after an officer clocked him on radar driving 83 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone. He pleaded guilty to an amended charge last month and was placed on probation for a year.
Because Sukhram has no prior felony convictions, state guidelines called for probation in the St. Anthony crash. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to seek no more than eight months in prison on each charge, which Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Ryan Flynn asked Judge DeAnne Hilgers to hand down the sentence on Wednesday.
Sukhram’s lawyer Paul Young asked for the eight months to be deferred and the prison sentence remitted if the defendant continued to comply with treatment and remain law-abiding.
Hilgers declined that request and instead ordered Sukhram to serve eight months without work release. She gave him the option to serve jail time on weekends so he could continue treatment during the week. Sukhram was ordered to participate in a MADD panel, and the refund remained open for two months.
‘I fled from the police’
According to the criminal complaint filed in the crash:
A Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy spotted Sukhram driving a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee on Interstate 35W south near Mounds View Boulevard at a speed of more than 100 miles per hour around 10:45 p.m. The deputy turned on his emergency lights and siren, but Sukhram changed lanes several times and swerved around other vehicles.
Near Interstate 694, Sukhram turned off his headlights as he continued to flee at about 125 miles per hour. Sukhram took the exit onto County Road D West. When the deputy realized he had lost sight of the Jeep, he turned off his team’s lights and siren.
A St. Anthony police officer then spotted the Jeep driving south on Highway 88 from County Road D without headlights. No crews were actively pursuing the speeding vehicle, the complaint said.
Moments later, Sukhram crashed into the other vehicle, a 2023 Honda HR-V, which was on its side when police arrived on the scene. Sukhram’s jeep was completely engulfed in flames in the central reservation, about 100 meters south of the impact site. Car parts were scattered 150 to 200 meters from the point of impact.
Sukhram was lying on the ground next to his jeep. He smelled of alcohol and a preliminary breath test showed his blood alcohol level was 0.093 percent.
Soua Vang was unconscious and had to be taken out through the broken windshield.
Her brother was found in the back of the Honda. “The pediatrician told police (the boy) that this was the worst pediatric case she had ever seen,” the complaint said.
In an interview, Sukhram said he met his sister and her friends at a restaurant and all he had was chips and queso. He said he drank two glasses of Tito’s vodka before noon on the day of the accident, but stopped drinking.
When asked what he remembered, Sukhram said, “I am running from the police,” according to the complaint. He acknowledged seeing the squad lights and hearing the siren. He recalled turning off his lights to avoid law enforcement and that crews were not directly behind him at the time of the crash.
Sukhram never asked about the condition of the people in the car he hit, the complaint said, adding that his “only concern was what amount his bail amount would be.”
Out of your role?
On Wednesday, Flynn showed three photos of the crash victims while they were in the hospital.
“Your Honor, if you look at this case candidly, the defendant’s impulsive, intoxicated decisions have completely destroyed this family,” he said.
The accident victims were not present at the hearing. “They don’t want to see the defendant,” Flynn said. ‘They don’t want to remember this. But ultimately this is their new reality. And the suspect’s remorse alone cannot change that.”
Last month, Soua Vang and the boy’s mother filed a civil lawsuit in Ramsey County District Court against Sukhram and his father, who owned the Jeep. Vang and her brother suffered serious and permanent injuries and disabilities, according to the lawsuit, which seeks more than $50,000.
Sukhram apologized to the victims and their families on Wednesday, saying: “I cannot find the right words to express my deep regret. I am really sorry. I remain hopeful and praying for your full recovery.”
Hilgers noted Sukhram’s previous speeding tickets and how he “never asked about the condition of those two people we saw on screen earlier today.”
Hilgers said she read the 11 letters of support for Sukhram that his family and friends gave to the court before his sentencing, and noted that the theme was that what happened was out of character for him. She disagreed.
“What you did and what you said at the time of the accident was very much in line with your history,” she said.
