19-year term for St. Paul man who hit two women with his SUV after July 4th fireworks in Hudson

A St. Paul man was sentenced Monday to a 19-year term for losing his temper over a fender-bender after July 4th fireworks show in Hudson, Wis., and being drunk when he hit a woman on a bicycle and another woman who was on foot.

Thaddeus John Smith 35, was sentenced in St. Croix Circuit Court after pleading guilty to first-degree reckless injury and injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle in connection with the incident on July 2 at the Lakefront Park boat launch.

The sentence calls for Smith to serve the first nine years in prison and the balance on extended supervision. The prosecution argued for 20 years evenly split, while the defense pushed for a probationary sentence.

One of the victims, bicyclist Barbara V. Espy, 62 , of Hudson, suffered a broken pelvis and ribs, collapsed lungs and a severe foot injury. The other victim, Chelsea L. Yorek, 38, also of Hudson, was slightly hurt, police said. Yorek apparently was the girlfriend of the driver who argued with Smith, according to the charges.

In the SUV with Smith were a woman described by police as his “significant other,” and children 6 and 1½ years old at the time, according to police.

Court records in Minnesota and Wisconsin show that Smith has been convicted twice for theft and once each for drunken driving, disorderly conduct, property damage and trespassing.

According to the criminal complaint, based on reports filed by police on the scene and other investigators:

Smith’s Jeep Cherokee hit a Kia SUV that was pulling an empty boat trailer, and the two drivers soon started arguing. Smith drove off in the wrong lane, hit Espy and dragged her from the boat launch parking lot into 1st Street.

A police officer directing traffic after the fireworks saw Smith’s SUV speeding down 2nd Street. The officer got in his squad, was alerted by emergency dispatch about the vehicle hitting pedestrians and caught up to and stopped Smith on the Interstate 94 bridge heading toward Minnesota.

The officer drove Smith to police headquarters and detected “a strong odor” of alcohol while on the way, the charges read. Smith submitted and failed a field sobriety test. Police found open alcohol containers in the SUV.

The woman with Smith said they stopped at a liquor store on the way from St. Paul to Hudson and bought “shooters,” single-serving bottles of vodka, for both of them. She said she saw Smith drink three shooters and two other alcoholic drinks that evening. She added that Smith can be difficult when he is drunk, and he refused to let her drive home.

While in line to leave the parking lot, she recalled feeling something hit the front of their SUV. She said the other driver got out of his vehicle, accused Smith of causing the collision and then made contact with Smith’s vehicle again. However, at least one other account to police said Smith initiated the first collision.