Man Charged in Fatal High-Speed Crash Near Clear Lake

ELK RIVER (WJON News) -- An Avon man has been charged in a fatal crash near Clear Lake where his car slammed into the back of another car at a high rate of speed.

Twenty-three-year-old Hunter Buckentine is charged with 3rd-degree murder, two counts of criminal vehicular homicide, and two counts of criminal vehicular operation.

The crash happened shortly after 1:00 a.m. Saturday on Highway 10 near Clear Lake.

The Minnesota State Patrol says a Chevy Cobalt was going west on Highway 10 when it was rear-ended by an Infinity Q50. Authorities say the Infinity pushed the Cobalt into the ditch and caused it to roll multiple times. The Infinity then left the road a short distance later and crashed into a tree line.

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A passenger in the Cobalt, 34-year-old Jordan Kramer of Clarissa, died in the crash. A second passenger in the Cobalt, 38-year-old Candice Pooler of Clarissa, was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Cobalt, 34-year-old Lindsey Soiseth of Lake Lillian had minor injuries.

According to the charges, Buckentine was driving when he and 21-year-old Trenton Michels left a Becker bar and headed toward Clear Lake. Court records show Michels pointed out that a state trooper had just passed them and Buckentine accelerated.

The charges allege Buckentine pulled out his phone and took a Snapchat of the speedometer at 150 miles-per-hour and typed "a new record". That's when Michels said he looked up and saw the Cobalt's taillights just before impact.

Authorities say Buckentine fled the scene, allegedly taking off his clothes and making comments about ending his life. He called authorities later that day to alert them that he had woken up on a baseball field with unknown clothes on and no belongings.

A crash reconstruction showed no efforts by Buckentine's car to slow down before impact. A search of his phone found the social media post about his speed just before the time of the crash.

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