Motorist posts pic of speedometer at 150 mph before causing fatal collision near St. Cloud, charges say

A motorist documented driving 150 miles per hour and posted his feat on social media moments before he crashed into the rear of another car southeast of St. Cloud and killed a passenger in the other vehicle, according to charges filed Monday.

Hunter M. Buckentine, 23, of Avon, Minn., was charged in Sherburne County District Court with third-degree murder, and two counts each of criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation in connection with the collision about 1:10 a.m. Saturday on Hwy. 10 in Clear Lake Township.

Buckentine remains jailed without bail ahead of a Sept. 20 court appearance. Court records do not yet list an attorney for him.

Buckentine was heading west on Hwy. 10 near SE. 97th Street in his Infiniti Q50 and struck a Chevy Cobalt from behind that also was traveling west, according to the State Patrol. The impact sent the Cobalt into a ditch to the right, where it rolled several times, the statement continued. Buckentine's car left the road, caught fire and hit a line of trees.

The Cobalt's passenger who died was identified as Jordan D. Kramer, 34, of Clarissa, Minn. Kramer died at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, the patrol said. Another passenger, Candice C. Pooler, 38, of Clarissa, was taken by emergency responders to St. Cloud Hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to the patrol.

The Cobalt's driver, Lindsey K. Soiseth, 34, of Lake Lillian, Minn., was expected to survive her injuries.

Also suffering noncritical injuries were Buckentine and his passenger, 21-year-old Trenton C. Michels, 21, of Becker, Minn., the patrol said.

According to the criminal complaint:

A trooper heading east on Hwy. 10 picked up on radar that Buckentine's car was traveling west at 132 miles per hour. The trooper turned around to pursue "before losing sight of the vehicle," the charges read.

The trooper soon arrived at the crash scene and saw "a debris field of glass and vehicle parts" in the road, the charges continued.

Soiseth told the trooper she "saw the headlights behind her, and the next thing that happened was impact," the charges noted. She "estimated the other vehicle's speed to be at 150 mph."

Initial patrol observations showed a lack of braking by Buckentine before the crash.

Michels told a patrol lieutenant that he and Buckentine had been drinking that night at a bar in Becker. He said Buckentine had two shots between 9:45 and 11 p.m. and appeared fine enough to drive when they left about 1 a.m.

Buckentine soon sped up to 150 mph, snapped a cellphone photo of his speed and put it on social media. Seconds later, Michels said he saw tail lights about a foot in front of them before the crash.

Buckentine's SnapChat account showed a speedometer reading of 150 mph with text that read "new record."

Buckentine ran from the scene, then called the Sheriff's Office the next afternoon. He said he recalled being at the bar but didn't recall being drunk. He remembered waking up in a baseball field in nearby Palmer before calling the Sheriff's Office about missing his keys, phone and wallet.

He told a trooper that the fastest he had ever driven was 145 mph at Brainerd International Raceway.

Court records show that Buckentine's driving history includes three convictions for speeding and another for careless driving in connection with him crashing his car in May 2022 east of St. Cloud in Santiago Township.