7 October 2023
A prominent Minnesota attorney was arrested Friday after allegedly striking a construction worker on Interstate 35 and fleeing the scene.
James Patrick Carey, 64, reportedly failed to stop after hitting the worker on the right shoulder of the northbound lanes near Hinckley at approximately 11:41 a.m., according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
James Carey, president and managing partner of the SiebenCarey law firm in Edina, was arrested was Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, after allegedly striking a construction worker on Interstate 35 in Pine County and fleeing the scene. (Courtesy photo)
His 2016 GMC Acadia was found a short time later near Moose Lake and he was taken into custody, authorities said. Alcohol was reported to be a factor in the incident.
Carey is president and managing partner of the SiebenCarey law firm, which is based in the Twin Cities. The firm, which advertises extensively across Minnesota, is one of the oldest and largest personal injury practices in the state.
Carey, of Edina, was being held Friday night at the Pine County Jail on preliminary charges of fourth-degree driving while impaired and failing to stop for a collision. He has yet to be formally charged and few details were immediately available.
The State Patrol said the construction worker, Joseph Gregory Flanagan, 27, of Duluth, was taken to Essentia Health-Sandstone with non-life-threatening injuries.
The collision happened in dry conditions on I-35 between the Mora and Hinckley exits, according to the report.
Carey, a Biwabik native, is a fourth-generation attorney who has long worked for the family firm, representing clients in wrongful death and personal injury cases related to car crashes, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and many other causes. He has been named to the Super Lawyers list since 1998 and was named Attorney of the Year by the Minnesota Lawyer publication in 2011.
According to its website, Sieben Carey employs more than 60 people at its offices in Minneapolis, Lakeville and Duluth.