Additional Charges In St. Cloud Police Chase Fatal Crash
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (WCCO) -- Additional charges have been filed in a police chase that resulted in the death of another motorist and seriously injured a pregnant woman, who lost her baby.
Timothy Richard Gilles, 22, of Waite Park, has now been charged with two counts of fleeing a police officer resulting in death, two counts of third-degree murder and one count fleeing a police officer resulting in bodily harm.
According to the criminal complaint, on April 15, Gilles was heading north in a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Highway 15 in St. Cloud when officers tried to pull him over. Police said he then sped away in his vehicle, traveling west on Second Street South, but in the eastbound lane of the road.
An assisting Waite Park officer chased the vehicle for about a half mile, when Gilles' Jeep t-boned another vehicle at the intersection of Second Street South and Waite Avenue.
A 30-year-old driver, identified as Timothy Martin Casanova of Starbuck, Minn., was killed in the impact. The 22-year-old passenger, Megan Irene Thomsen, who was eight months pregnant, was also seriously injured.
After the crash, Gilles fled on foot. Officers caught up to him, tasered him and were able to arrest him.
He was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and was later taken to the Stearns County Jail.
Thomsen and her unborn baby were taken to St. Cloud Hospital. The baby, Timothy James Thomsen, was born through emergency C-section but died from injuries suffered in the crash.
Gilles is being held in Stearns County Jail on $1.5 million bail. His latest court appearance was Monday.
If convicted of fleeing a police officer resulting in death, Gilles could face up to 40 years in prison and an $80,000 fine. Each count of third-degree murder has a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
