The motorist convicted of probation for leaving the crash site after hitting a pedestrian at I -94 in St. Paul – St. Paul Pioneer Press

Anthony John Kuti struck and critically hurt a 40-year-old man who was in the center of the St. Paul Highway and did not stop, telling an investigator the next day that he thought he had hit an animal.

On Friday, Ramsay County District Judge Joy Bartsher followed an agreement on legal basis and condemned the 50-year-old red wing musician to two years unattended probation after pleading guilty to a crime that failed to stop the movement of movement that led to injury in connection with the connection to the crash in May 2023.

The victim’s father and sister told the court in the verdict that they did not buy Cuchetti’s request for ignorance.

“It seems extremely hard for me to believe that someone would think that the wildlife is inhabiting the St. Paul Center interstation,” Nicole Wadage told the court. “And I actually find my brother disrespectful to compare it to a dog or deer.”

Her brother Jeffrey Allen Welge, Jr. survives after the collision that happened on Interstate 94 near Jackson Street shortly before 11 pm May 1823. But his injuries included traumatic brain injury, complex fractures on both his feet and injuries On his hands, shoulder, pelvis and face.

– Mr. Cuchetti let my son die, “says his father Jeff Welge, Mounds View, in the sentence. “If it weren’t for the good Samaritans, he would have died right there.”

In a tragic turn of the events, a junior was found dead on June 1st in a bathtub in the apartment of his friend St. Paul of his girlfriend, where he was staying late. His sister told him he had drowned and had methamphetamine in his system.

The father and sister of UGG told the judge that they did not agree with the dog’s legal basis agreement, which included a court decision, which means that if he successfully completes probation, the prosecution would be rejected and he would not have a criminal sentence your file.

“I believe in my heart and soul that Mr. dogs realized well that he had hit a man wearing a bright white T -shirt,” Nicole Wadage said.

Cuchetti’s lawyer, Nicole Ketwick, told the court that her client was legally moving on the interstate “where, tragically, should not be a pedestrian. Just as law enforcement was articulated, there was no way to know or even suspect that he had hit a man. “

I saw the news

According to the penal complaint on June 5, the State Patrol responded to a report on a person lying down the right shoulder to the east I-94, right east of Jackson Street. Welage was unconscious and taken to the hospital in the regions.

Around 10am the next day dogs called the State Patrol. He told an investigator that he saw news about the incident that morning and believed it was the motorist who struck a greeting.

Dogs said he participated as a musician at a private party for a company in Minneapolis the night before. He said he had consumed one to two beers at night. Blood for testing toxicology is not obtained from Cuchetti, according to the state patrol.

As he moved home to the east I-94 in the area of ​​St. Paul’s center, dogs “saw something out”, which he believes is an animal, he told the researcher.

Cuchetti said that due to traffic, he was unable to deviate to avoid the collision that “shakes the car,” the complaint said. He said he had hit a deer before and that he felt the same, adding: “It didn’t go through my mind that it could be human because I was on the highway and I was like:” What would someone go through the highway for the highway for ? “

Cuchetti said he lasted on I-94 to South US 61, where he feels safe to download. He said he had seen the damage to the right headlight on his Honda pilot, but that the SUV was otherwise managed, so he decided to contact his insurance company in the morning.

The investigator contacted a manager at the company where Cuchetti made the night of the crash. He said he doubted that Cuchetti had a lot to drink there, the complaint said.

The certified reconstructionist of the crash determined the clash and the injuries to welcome “mostly can be attributed to (welcoming), who walked or stood on the on -site highway lane and under conditions of limited visibility,” the complaint said.

Cuchetti did not return to study what he had hit according to the law and “it is not known exactly how long (welcoming) is on the roadway after being struck before reporting his condition and he will start receiving medical treatment” , the complaint says.

“Life is changing in every aspect”

Cuchetti refused to go to court on Friday, deciding to let his lawyer speak on his behalf.