Homicide Charges Filed Against Driver In St. Paul Drunken Driving Crash

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Criminal vehicular homicide charges have been filed against the man accused in a drunken driving crash in St. Paul last week that left one of his passengers dead.

Kanyi Lee Williams, 22, is charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection to the Friday evening crash, documents filed in Ramsey County show. Earlier this week, he was also charged with two counts of criminal vehicular operation.

According to a criminal complaint, Williams was drunk when he crashed a Honda CRV into a utility poll near light rail tracks at the intersection of University and Chatsworth avenues.

Three passengers were in the car. One of them, 21-year-old Deshawn Perry, died Monday from his injuries. Monday was also his birthday.

In an interview with police, Williams told authorities he had several glasses of hard liquor before getting behind the wheel. He said that traffic caused him to "freak out," swerve hard and crash.

If convicted of the criminal vehicular homicide charges, Williams faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count.