More charges have been levied against nine of the 12 exotic sports car drivers who were ticketed on allegations of roaring along at more than 100 miles per hour in a pack on I-394 on a spring weekend afternoon.
Along with the initial charge of reckless driving, the nine defendants now face additional misdemeanor counts of careless driving and speed greater than reasonable-hazardous.
The high-speed cruise occurred in moderate traffic on April 23, with the pricey rides zipping and weaving along for several miles on westbound Interstate 394 and then onto Hwy. 12. Social media sizzled for some time after the drivers were ticketed. Some believed law enforcement was too heavy-handed, while others were outraged by the pack's behavior and viewing them as among the privileged elite.
One of the accused, Swen Corbin, recently shared on Twitter a car decal that read "#394guys" and was accompanied by the message "Embracing the world I live in." Corbin's attorney denies his client made that posting.
Many of the drivers belonged to Corbin's MN Exotics and Supercars (MNE & S), an invitation-only club in the Twin Cities that touts itself as "one of the most exclusive" for high-end cars in Minnesota. Among the models represented on this hyper-speed cruise were Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati and McLaren.
The cars that were stopped by law enforcement — and the several others that were not caught — left Morrie's Luxury Auto sales near Louisiana Avenue late that afternoon.
Rolf Sponheim, the city attorney for Minnetonka who is prosecuting the cases, said Wednesday that the additional counts were filed because "these were the charges that fit the facts." He declined to be more specific.
Asked whether putting a heavier prosecutorial thumb on the defendants might inspire guilty pleas, Sponheim said, "We are open to those discussions."
