Salvador Juan Battles, 31, of Macalester-Groveland has been charged in Ramsey County District Court with two counts of felony criminal vehicular homicide after he reportedly ran a red light at Marshall and Cretin avenues and T-boned another vehicle, killing the driver, around 2:18 a.m. Saturday, February 26.
According to the criminal complaint filed on March 1, responding officers came across a black Toyota 4Runner with heavy front-end damage and a maroon Chevrolet Impala with significant driver-side damage. The 25-year-old male driver of the Impala, identified as Isiah Desmond Valle Kirk, was unconscious and not breathing. He was taken to Regions Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Battles was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. From witness testimony and security video, police believe Battles was traveling north on Cretin at a high rate of speed when he ran the red light and struck the Impala, which was traveling west on Marshall.
During a post-Miranda interview, Battles admitted that he was looking at his GPS on his dashboard when approaching the intersection and did not know the speed limit was 25 mph. He faces maximum sentences of 10 years in prison for the two counts of criminal vehicular homicide: one for operating a vehicle in a grossly negligent manner and one for operating a vehicle with negligence under the influence of alcohol. Bail was set at $500,000.
A fundraiser has been set up by relatives of Valle Kirk at gofundme.com/f/isiah-desmond-valle-kirk-funeral-services.
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