Apple Valley Man Charged With Vehicular Homicide

An Apple Valley man has been charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in the crash that killed a Saint Paul woman just south of downtown Minneapolis, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced. Israel Delos Santos, 30, was charged with criminal vehicular homicide for leaving the scene of a death and for gross negligence in the death of 47-year-old Krista Sandstrom.

According to the criminal complaint, Sandstrom was driving her Honda Fit west on 15th Street East and had the green light just before 6 p.m. on Thursday. Delos Santos was driving a Chevrolet Trailblazer north on Park Avenue South when he allegedly ran a red light and struck the Honda.

Witnesses saw Delos Santos and his passenger get out of the Trailblazer after the crash. The passenger appeared to hide a liquor bottle in nearby grass and then both ran away, according to police.

Authorities say Delos Santos was found by police not far away, and after some resistance, was handcuffed and put into an ambulance for a trip to Hennepin County Medical Center to check him for injuries and to obtain a blood sample to determine if he was drunk, the complaint states. The results of that blood-alcohol sample have not been reported, according to a news release.

Witnesses told police that Delos Santos appeared to be traveling about 70 miles-per-hour on Park Avenue and had run three red lights on the city street, according to the complaint. Investigators removed the airbag control module from the Trailblazer and its data indicated the SUV was traveling at least 66 miles per hour at the time of the crash and no brake was applied, according to authorities.

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