Man Pleads Guilty in St. Cloud Chase That Killed a Man

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A man has settled his criminal case after leading police on a chase in a stolen vehicle that resulted in the death of another motorist.

Twenty-nine-year-old Samuel Butler has pleaded guilty in Stearns County District Court to an amended charge of fleeing police resulting in death. Six other charges have been dismissed as part of his plea.

The December 12th chase started in St. Wendel Township when a caller reported someone driving erratically, and at times, on the wrong side of the road. Officers gave chase before Butler allegedly abandoned his SUV and stole a pickup and construction trailer.

Court records show a trail of damage left behind as Butler drove at high speeds to evade officers.

According to the criminal complaint, the chase ended when Butler drove through a stop sign and collided with a car at the intersection of 36th Avenue North and 10th Street North in St. Cloud.

The driver of the car suffered severe injuries and died 10 days later. Butler was pinned inside the pickup and had to be extricated after crashing into a large tree.

Get our free mobile app

Records show police found a glass pipe, a torch, and burned aluminum foil inside the abandoned vehicle.

Butler will be sentenced at a later date.

READ RELATED ARTICLES

LOOK: Can you guess the world-famous actor from a childhood photo?

Stacker used Getty Images to compile photos of beloved actors from when they were children. How many can you guess from their childhood picture alone?

Gallery Credit: Stacker