St. Cloud Man Sentenced to 8-Years in Prison for Wrong-Way Crash

ST. CLOUD -- A St. Cloud man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after killing two men in a wrong-way crash in Waite Park this past summer.

Twenty-eight-year-old Charlie Barnett previously pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal vehicular homicide back in October. He will get credited for 191 days already served.

Court records show Barnett was driving on Divison Street on July 9th when the car crossed over the median and hit an El Camino head-on killing the occupants, 61-year-old Richard Tomlinson of Grantsburg, Wisconsin and 77-year-old Roger Nelson of Clearwater.

Witnesses told investigator the Malibu Barnett was driving was traveling well above the speed limit and the driver made no attempt to slow down.

Court records show an aerosol can of dust cleaner was found on the driver's side floor of where Barnett had been sitting. Investigators learned Barnett has a history of huffing dust cleaner.

Surveillance video from the Best Buy store showed Barnett buying two cans of cleaner minutes before the crash.