Man Charged After Brooklyn Park Drunken Driving Crash Leaves One Dead
A Minneapolis man is accused of driving drunk in a single-vehicle crash in Brooklyn Park that resulted in the death of his passenger.
Lamoind Cunningham, 44, has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the March 30 crash.
Police say Cunningham was driving a vehicle last Saturday evening when he lost control and hit a tree in the 7000 block of 68th Avenue North.
The crash was so severe that firefighters had to use “Jaws of Life” extrication tools to remove him from the wreckage.
According to the criminal complaint, “One of the firefighters who was in close proximity to [Cunningham] on scene smelled the odor of an alcoholic
beverage on his breath and noted that he had slurred speech and an altered level of consciousness.”
He later admitted to police that he’d been drinking beer and cognac before driving, and said he passed out or blacked out behind the wheel.
His passenger, 50-year-old Lamont Cunningham, was transported to a hospital after the crash, where he was pronounced dead.
Police took a blood test from the suspect driver and are waiting for the results. He was treated in the hospital for injuries following the crash and later booked in the Hennepin County Jail. Bail is set at $150,000 with a court appearance scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Lamoind Cunningham has previously been convicted of aggravated robbery and domestic assault. According to court documents, he could be subject to an increased penalty in this case due to a prior driving offense.
Cunningham told police he had been drinking at a cousin’s house before the crash.
The victim and driver in this incident have the same last name, but a Brooklyn Park police spokesperson told CCX News they were unsure if the victim and driver in this incident were related.
