Man Convicted Of Killing 2 In Crash Charged In New DWI Case

ANOKA COUNTY, MN — A man sentenced to prison for killing two people in a drunk driving crash is now facing new felony DWI charges after authorities say he was caught driving impaired again in Fridley earlier this month.

Tom Souvannaphong, 33, of Andover, was charged in Anoka County District Court with first-degree driving while impaired and test refusal following an April 3 traffic stop, according to the criminal complaint.

Police said an officer observed Souvannaphong’s vehicle swerving and unable to maintain its lane on northbound University Avenue Northeast.

During the stop, the officer noted the smell of alcohol, and Souvannaphong admitted to drinking, the complaint states.

Authorities say Souvannaphong showed signs of impairment during field sobriety testing and registered a preliminary breath test result of 0.157. The legal limit is .08.

He was arrested but later refused to take an official breath test at the police station, authorities said.

Court records show Souvannaphong was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with an August 2015 crash that killed a couple from Hibbing and injured a third person.

Because of that prior conviction, any subsequent DWI offense qualifies as a felony under Minnesota law.

Authorities also noted Souvannaphong’s driver’s license was revoked at the time of the April 3 incident, and he could not provide proof of insurance.

Court records also show Souvannaphong still owes more than $1,000 in fines and restitution tied to the 2015 case.