7 October 2023
A drunken driver was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years of probation Thursday for a 2021 crash in Maplewood that killed one passenger and severely injured another.
Chue Asham Yang, 59, of Maplewood, had pleaded guilty to driving drunk and crashing into a pickup truck on U.S. 61, a wreck that killed his backseat passenger, Tou Moua, 52, of Fresno, Calif.
Chue Asham Yang (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)
Moua was Yang’s “best friend” and former brother-in-law, according to Yang’s attorney. Yang’s ex-wife was injured.
Court records show Yang was convicted of DWI three times in Minnesota between 2008 and 2019.
In departing downward from state sentencing guidelines Thursday, Ramsey County District Judge Timothy Carey cited Yang’s amenability to probation and treatment and his “clear sense of remorse.” The judge stayed a four-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors did not oppose a departure; they asked Carey to give Yang a year in jail.
In July, Yang pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. A second count of criminal vehicular homicide — operating a vehicle with negligence while under the influence of alcohol — was dismissed.
Yang’s attorney, Thomas Donohue, wrote in his motion for a departure that Yang’s ex-wife forgives him. He said Yang is sober and has been attending Alcoholic Anonymous classes several times a week since fall 2022.
Carey ordered that Yang, as part of his probation, undergo a chemical health evaluation and follow its recommendations. Yang must also continue going to AA classes and attend an impact panel sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Car went airborne
Roads were covered with fresh snow and ice at the time of the Dec. 10, 2021, crash, according to the criminal complaint.
The driver of a Ford F-150 told police he was headed south on U.S. 61 around 11:50 p.m. and saw a Toyota Corolla heading north. He said the Corolla’s speed was 60 to 70 mph, the car “swerved all over the road” and the headlights weren’t on.
He said the Corolla jumped the raised median between the lanes, went airborne and struck his pickup truck.
Paramedics pronounced Moua dead at the scene. Yang was unconscious.
It appeared neither Moua nor Yang’s ex-wife were wearing seatbelts, the complaint says. Yang and his ex-wife, who had apparent head trauma, were taken to a hospital.
The driver of the pickup truck complained of soreness, but otherwise was uninjured, the complaint says.
Yang’s ex-wife told police they were coming home from a funeral, where they’d all been drinking.
A blood draw taken from Yang at the hospital showed he had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.146, nearly two times the legal limit to drive in Minnesota.
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