Charges: Man pushed his long-term girlfriend out of speeding pickup
A woman suffered serious injuries when she was allegedly pushed out of a moving vehicle by her boyfriend in St. Paul on Sunday.
The incident was reported to police just before 2 a.m., when the 55-year-old victim was found severely injured on Central Avenue West.
She was suffering from serious trauma to her head, which including a large area of skin that had been peeled back from the impact, revealing her skull.
Later examination confirmed a collapsed lung, a ruptured spleen, fractured ribs, and multiple other cuts and scrapes.
The person allegedly responsible for the injuries is Wilson Townsel, 58, of Fridley, the victim's boyfriend of "several years" who has been charged this week with first-degree assault causing great bodily harm.
The victim told police that she was in Townsel's red pickup truck as he was driving over the speed limit. He then "suddenly reached across" the victim, opened the passenger door, and "shoved [her] out of the moving truck."
The victim says she managed to hold onto the truck for a short distance, but fell off onto the street.
When she was taken to Regions Hospital, doctors diagnosed a collapsed lung after her blood pressure dropped dangerously.
She remains in a critical condition in hospital. She has been intubated and is being monitored in the surgical intensive care unit.
The criminal complaint against Townsel says he has no known domestic violence offenses in the past 10 years