Man admits killing driver in high-speed south metro collision, stripping naked and invading home

A Rosemount man has admitted to speeding through a red light and fatally striking another motorist before fleeing the scene naked into a nearby townhouse occupied by a family with children.

Eric W. Kasprzyk, 40, pleaded guilty in Dakota County District Court to criminal vehicular homicide and burglary in connection with the crash and home invasion on April 1 in Lakeville.

Killed in the collision on 160th Street at Cedar Avenue was Osah Phetsarath, 45, a Lakeville father and owner of a doughnut shop in Eagan.

Kasprzyk, who has remained in custody since his arrest on the day of the crimes, is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 9 on the two felony counts.

"The defendant's actions resulted in a senseless and avoidable death and caused extreme fear to a family in the home he invaded as he fled the scene of the crash," County Attorney James Backstrom said in a statement announcing the guilty pleas.

Phetsarath, who emigrated from Laos, owned Puffy Cream Donut Plus while he and his wife, Seng Phothisanh, raised their three children.

"My husband will never see his 18-year-old girl graduate [high school], and his two young sons will grow up without a father figure!" Phothisanh wrote on Facebook soon after Kasprzyk pleaded guilty. "Osah was the only child to his parents."

A niece, Jessica Yeang, wrote in an online posting the day after the crash that "Uncle Osah was such a character, he always had a great sense of humor. He would always sing 'Jessie's Girl' to me every time he saw me."

It was about 8:30 a.m. on April 1, when police were alerted to Kasprzyk heading west on eastbound 160th on the Apple Valley-Lakeville border. Soon after, he ran a red light and struck Phetsarath's southbound car while traveling roughly 80 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone. Two other vehicles were also involved in the wreck, but far less seriously.

Kasprzyk ran from the scene, shedding his clothes along the way. He barged into a townhouse and briefly hid in a hall closet. He soon locked all the exterior doors.

In the home were a couple with their children, ages 2 years and 6 months, the burglary criminal complaint said. The man described Kasprzyk as acting "frantic and erratic."

Police, who were called by one of the residents, went inside and arrested Kasprzyk. One of the arresting officers said it appeared that Kasprzyk was under the influence of drugs, given the defendant's "speech patterns, confusing hyperactive demeanor," according to the charges.

While being taken to Regions Hospital, Kasprzyk became combative and required sedation.

Kasprzyk's driving history includes a conviction in Dakota County for careless driving in 2013. In that same incident, charges of drunken driving and speeding were dismissed.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482