Guilty plea could mean no prison for drunken driver who killed other motorist in Fridley

A 30-year-old Andover man has pleaded guilty to being drunk, running a red light and killing another motorist at a Fridley intersection.

Emmanuel Seekie agreed to admit to felony criminal vehicular homicide in connection with an Oct. 2 collision at the intersection of East River Road and 42nd Avenue NE. David L. Alfuth of Minneapolis died at the scene one day before his 61st birthday.

The plea deal, subject to a judge's approval at sentencing, calls for Seekie to serve up to a four-year term, with two-thirds of that time in prison and the balance on supervised release. Sentencing before Anoka County District Judge Karin McCarthy is scheduled for June 13.

Seekie can request to serve his sentence while under inpatient treatment with Minnesota Teen Challenge but would not be allowed any passes to leave the treatment center for the duration of his term.

Witnesses said Alfuth was turning from westbound 42nd to southbound East River Road. Seekie was on northbound East River Road, ran the red light and hit Alfuth's Subaru.

One witness said Seekie "was traveling at a very high rate of speed" when he entered the intersection, the charging document read. Other witnesses saw Seekie driving erratically shortly before the crash, sometimes traveling on the wrong side of East River Road.

Officers located Seekie at the scene and detected a strong odor of alcohol from him, the criminal complaint read. His eyes were bloodshot and watery. He told police he had had one beer in the past hour.

Alfuth grew up in northeast Minneapolis as one of seven siblings, said older sister April Alfuth. He served in the Army for three years in the early 1980s and was stationed in Germany, she said.

He worked for many years as a tradesman in setup for indoor and outdoor shows and concerts.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482