WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Police say the driver of a DHL delivery truck, who is now facing a criminal vehicular homicide charge, was going about 83 miles per hour before he collided with an SUV on Highway 96 in White Bear Lake, Minnesota this past March.
Charges filed on Wednesday against the delivery driver Robert James Norby, of Maple Grove, break down the moments before and after the deadly crash near the ramp for Interstate 35E. According to police, Norby, a new driver for DHL, was headed east on Highway 96 in a Dodge Ram Promaster SUV delivery truck on March 22, 2019 when the crash happened.
Investigators say Norby was driving at a high rate of speed when he approached the ramps for I-35E. A police officer who was in the area at the time of the crash reported Norby had a red light while drivers in the opposite direction had green arrows to turn onto the ramp for southbound I-35E.
Police say Norby failed to brake for the red light, and instead steered around other eastbound cars stopped at the light, went onto the shoulder before careening into the intersection, hitting a Kia Sportage. An eyewitness said Norby's truck had gone airborne before the collision.
The driver of the Kia, a 25-year-old man, was mortally wounded and pronounced dead at Regions Hospital. Norby suffered injuries to his wrist and knee but survived.
Speaking with police, Norby said he was unable to recall the details of the collision, but he denied passing out during the crash.
Police later learned Norby had just been hired that week as a delivery driver for DHL. And before being hired, he had his license cancelled on three separate occasions for "medical" reasons. However, his license was valid at the time of the crash.
Investigators also found pills in his lunch box. Norby told police he had only taken acetaminophen and medication for seizures. No other drugs were found in his system by blood tests.
Police said Norby was "unclear" when asked if he had suffered seizures in the past. But his medical history had a listing for a seizure.
In their final opinion, police said Norby's speed and failure to stop ultimately led to the fatal collision. He faces up to 10 years behind bars if convicted.