Trucker possibly distracted by cellphone before fatal Rosemount crash, charges say

Charges against a dump truck driver raise the possibility that he was distracted by his cellphone when he crashed into a couple's car at highway speed and killed them both in Rosemount nearly two years ago.

Fred T. Fonji, 48, of Roseville was charged Tuesday in Dakota County District Court with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the wreck on Oct. 17, 2019, on Hwy. 55 that killed Will Craig, 47, and Cully Craig, 48, of South St. Paul.

Bail for Fonji was set at $300,000 and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He has yet to turn himself in to authorities. Messages were left with Fonji seeking his reaction.

An analysis by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension of two cellphones seized from Fonji showed he received two incoming WhatsApp messages, one at 12:18:50 p.m. and the other 20 seconds later, the charges read. The analysis could not determine whether Fonji opened the messages.

A state trooper who came upon the scene immediately after the crash noted that he arrived at 12:20 p.m. and saw the Craigs' car still "smoking" from when Fonji set off the chain-reaction crash involving four vehicles, the criminal complaint continued.

Two days after the crash, a woman who worked at a landfill 2 miles from the scene contacted a state trooper to say that Fonji is "always on the phone" and had been to the facility three times that day and was on his phone each time, the charges read. She estimated having seen him 100 or so times.

According to the complaint:

A semitrailer truck was waiting to turn left from eastbound Hwy. 55 onto Doyle Path. A pickup truck and the Craigs' car were either slowing down or already stopped behind the semi. Fonji hit the pickup while traveling at least 55 mph and then struck the Craigs' car, which then hit the semi.

The Craigs were pronounced dead at the scene. Fonji and the other two drivers survived their injuries.

"The primary contributing factor to the crash was the defendant's failure to slow and/or stop for the traffic ahead of him, [and] a secondary factor could be the defendant's distraction by a cellphone."

Blood tests revealed that Fonji was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. His driving history in Minnesota includes two drunken driving convictions, according to court records.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482