Driver Admits To Fentanyl, Meth Use In Crash Killing Maple Grove Man

ST. PAUL, MN — A St. Paul man was sentenced Friday to nearly eight years in prison after he admitted in court to causing a fatal crash while under the influence of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Adam Pattishall, 22, pled guilty to criminal vehicular homicide in March. The collision killed Daniel Fisher, 57, of Maple Grove and critically injured Fisher’s wife in the crash.

"Driving under the influence of any controlled substance is extraordinarily dangerous and will be taken seriously in Hennepin County," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement.

"People struggling with addiction deserve a chance to get help, but when someone takes the step to drive under the influence and causes a terrible, life-altering tragedy like this, there must be significant accountability. I’m hopeful the Fisher family receives some comfort from this outcome."

On the morning of May 15, a white Chevrolet Silverado struck a red Kia Sportage from behind at the intersection of County Road 81 and Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Park.

The crash killed the Kia driver — Fisher — and left his wife in the front passenger seat with a brain bleed and fractured back, according to the criminal complaint.

The Chevrolet driver — identified as Pattishall — was seen fleeing the crash with fresh blood on his clothing and a hand, police said. Pattishall entered the women's restroom in a gas station and exited with different clothing, according to authorities.

When Pattishall was arrested, officers found 12.6 grams of methamphetamine and fentanyl, the criminal complaint states.

A toxicology test found meth and amphetamine in his blood, investigators said.