Fleeing suspect charged in crash that left husband dead, wife critical
The man killed when his SUV was struck by a fleeing suspect in Brooklyn Park has been identified, while the suspect has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide.
Daniel Joseph Fisher, 57, was stopped at a red light when his Kia Sportage was struck by a white Chevy Silverado, allegedly being driven by 22-year-old Adam Hunter Pattishall.
Fisher was killed in the crash, while his wife Cathleen, who was a passenger in the Kia, remains hospitalized with critical injuries including a brain bleed and a fractured back, and has required several emergency surgeries.
Pattishall has been charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide, one count of criminal vehicular operation and one count of third-degree drug possession.
The 22-year-old, who has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions for driving with a suspended license, burglary, stealing fuel from a gas station, motor vehicle theft, careless driving, and drug possession, is accused of fleeing when a police officer approached an Osseo car wash parking lot to check on a suspicious vehicle with an obscured license plate Sunday morning.
The Osseo Police Department issued a statement Monday reiterating that their officer did not pursue the suspect, but instead "tried to follow" due to the suspect's high rate of speed.
The criminal complaint
At about 7:18 a.m. Sunday, an officer witnessed a grey Chevrolet Impala with an obstructed license plate park at a car wash located at 401 County Road 81 in Osseo. When the officer approached the car, a white Chevrolet Silverado accelerated out of the parking lot "at a high rate of speed."
The officer did not activate the squad car's emergency lights, nor did the officer attempt to stop the truck. The truck was seen blowing a stop sign and continuing towards the intersection of County Road 81 and Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Park.
The truck had traveled just over a mile when it crashed into a red Kia Sportage that was stopped at a red light. The driver, Fisher, was declared dead at the scene.
Pattishall was seen by witnesses running from the scene of the crash. Police later found and arrested him. Officers found 12.6 grams of methamphetamine and fentanyl on Pattishall and inside his truck. He also told police that he ingested heroin prior to being arrested. According to the complaint, toxicology reports are pending.
Officers also determined that the truck Pattishall was driving had been stolen in a burglary of a business that happened that same morning. That incident remains under investigation at this time.
If convicted, Pattishall faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison. Bail has been set for $150,000, with conditions.
