Community Corner

Burnsville Teen Driver in Fatal Buck Hill Crash Sentenced

The driver was sentenced in juvenile court to jail time and community service for the crash that killed two and injured two others.

The Burnsville teen driver in the 2012 Buck Hill Road crash that left two Burnsville teenagers dead and two injured was sentenced on Monday in juvenile court.

A judge sentenced the now 18-year-old driver to 60 days in the Juvenile Service Center and to 100 hours of community work service, according to a news release from the Dakota County Attorney's Office. He will also spend another 10 days in jail on the anniversary of the deaths in 2014 and 2015.


Frederick Jeffrey Alexander, age 16, and Alesha Katherine Roehl, age 17, both of Burnsville were killed in the crash, which occurred on Aug. 21, 2012. Two teenagers were injured: Jonathan L. Thomas, 16, of Lakeville and Rey Chacon, 17, of Burnsville.

The driver was 17 at the time of crash and was driving 96 mph when he lost control of the vehicle. It flipped several times down a hill before landing on Interstate 35. 

He pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the accident earlier this month:

  • two counts of criminal vehicular homicide involving gross negligence, 
  • one felony county of criminal vehicular operation involving gross negligence resulting in bodily harm, and 
  • one gross misdemeanor count of criminal vehicular operation involving gross negligence resulting in bodily harm.

He was prosecuted under Minnesota's extended juvenile jurisdiction statute, which calls for a stayed adult prison sentence. It also extends the juvenile court's jurisdiction over the case until he reaches age 21.

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