ROSEMOUNT, Minn. — A Roseville man was sentenced to two years in jail Friday, one year each for the man and woman killed in a 2019 crash he was convicted of causing.
According to the Dakota County Attorney's Office, 49-year-old Fred Fonji was handed his sentence after a jury found him guilty of two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of careless driving in February. The attorney's office said Fonji will serve two consecutive terms of 365 days, in addition to 300 hours of community service and a $2,000 fine.
“This is a tragic example of the consequences that can result from distracted driving," said Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena in a statement. "My deepest sympathy is extended to the family and friends of the Craigs for their great loss."
South St. Paul couple William Craig, 47, and his wife, Colette Craig, 48 were killed in the crash after their vehicle was rear-ended by a dump truck, driven by Fonji, on Highway 55 near Rosemount. The October 17, 2019 crash also involved a pick-up truck and semi.
According to the original complaint filed in the case, Fonji was behind the wheel of a dump truck when he slammed into the pick-up going at least 55 mph. The crash reconstruction showed the pick-up truck veering off the roadway into a ditch after impact, allowing the dump truck to then strike the Craigs' vehicle before pinning it between a semi. The complaint says authorities found all of the vehicles except for Fonji's were either stopped or nearly stopped at the time of the crash.
During their investigation, police seized two cell phones from Fonji and submitted them for forensic analysis. Court documents say a colleague of Fonji's at a local landfill reported to state troopers that she saw Fonji on his phone at least three times on the day of the crash, claiming he was "always on the phone."
While the phones seized by authorities showed Fonji received two messages at the time of the crash, they could not determine if those messages were open or viewed.
The other drivers involved in the crash were taken to Regions Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
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