Jack Blaschke Charged In Plymouth Hit-And-Run That Left Man, Dog Dead
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection to a hit-and-run in Plymouth on Wednesday that resulted in the death of a 65-year-old man and his dog.
Jack Henry Blaschke, of Delano, was charged in Hennepin County Court Friday with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide.
According to the criminal complaint, shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday, Blaschke pulled up on County Road 24 next to another car that was waiting for the light to turn green. He honked three times, indicating a desire to challenge the other driver to a street race, witnesses said.
Blaschke then accelerated and drove over 70 mph in a 45 mph zone. That's when he struck the victim and his dog, who were trying to cross the street.
Witnesses at the scene said that the victim flew through the air and landed on the driveway.
Blaschke drove away and did not report the crash, court documents say.
When Plymouth Police officers arrived, the man had a pulse, and bystanders had started CPR. His black Laborador was lying roughly 100 feet away, dead. The man was transported to North Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
He was identified by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner as Gregory Michael Schneider, of Plymouth.
Later in a post-Miranda interview, Blaschke claimed he was driving at 40 to 45 mph when he rounded a curve and the man and his dog were just there in front of him. He said he panicked after hitting the two and continued to drive north and then went to a friend's house.
Blaschke admitted that his father had warned him several times in the past about consequences related to his driving. Just weeks before the incident, he said he had been arrested for a DWI.
Blaschke is currently in Hennepin County Jail.
If convicted of both counts, he could face up to 20 years in prison.