1 Charged In April Crash That Killed Mendota Heights Woman

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN — A Minneapolis man was charged Tuesday after police alleged he was talking to his wife on FaceTime just before an April 2021 crash that killed a Mendota Heights woman.

Darrin Doral Gregory Jr., 30, is facing one count of criminal vehicular homicide, according to a criminal complaint filed against him in Hennepin County. He could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000, if convicted.

Mendota Heights Woman Killed In 4-Vehicle Crash In Minneapolis

The Minnesota State Patrol said it responded on the morning of April 15 to a four-vehicle crash on eastbound Highway 62 near Portland Avenue in Richfield

The highway had been under construction at the time of the crash and was down to one lane, according to officials

Officials said Tibbetts was pronounced dead at the site of the crash after her Honda Civic came to a stop on the far-right shoulder of Highway 62, according to the complaint

Gregory was trapped in his Ford F150 after it rolled several times and was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for his injuries, officials said

Another driver involved in the crash told state troopers he was rear-ended by the Honda Civic before feeling a second impact, according to the complaint. He then saw a red truck flipping in the air over his car, officials said.

According to state troopers, Gregory told them at HCMC that he had been Facetiming his wife at the time of the crash. He said his phone was on the windshield and that he was not looking at it, according to officials.

Officials said that Gregory then told them he was two car lengths behind the Honda Civic before it slammed on its brakes. Gregory said he didn't have enough time to react and that he hit that car, his car flew through the air, hit the pavement and slid forward, according to officials.

Investigators took Gregory's phone and found that he was on Facetime for two minutes after rear-ending the Honda Civic, state troopers said.

In a video from the Minnesota Department of Transportation Regional Traffic Management Center, Gregory doesn't appear to brake at all or try to steer away from hitting the Honda Civic, officials said. Traffic also appears to be mostly at a stand-still at the time of the crash, and the Honda Civic was disabled after rear-ending a Chevy Equinox, according to officials.

Minnesota State Patrol conducted a crash reconstruction and said the primary contributing factor in the crash was Gregory's "failure to react to the changing conditions ahead of him." The secondary contributing factors include him speeding and being on Facetime, officials said.

The crash reconstruction and video footage shows that Gregory didn't react at all before hitting the Honda Civic, when traffic was almost at a stand-still, according to officials.