Twin Cities man charged with driving while high when he fatally hit pedestrian has died

A man charged with driving while high when he fatally hit one pedestrian and injured another in St. Louis Park has died, leading to the case being dismissed.

Court records show that Jeremy Ryan Sherman, 38, died on March 5, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office one day later formally dismissed criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation charges against him.

A cause of death for Sherman, of St. Louis Park, was not disclosed in court records.

The crash occurred on Dec. 30 in the 7500 block of Excelsior Boulevard, near where the victims worked at commercial printer Japs-Olson Co.

Manes Thach was struck and died one day before her 52nd birthday. The man walking with her was identified in a court filing as 60-year-old Leangheng Prom of Shakopee. A recent court filing revealed that Prom suffered a broken leg and pelvis in the crash, and uses a walker for mobility.

Sherman was arrested at the scene and released on bond on Jan. 3, jail records disclosed.

According to the criminal complaint and a related court document:

Police responded around 6 p.m. and found both people unconscious in the street. Thach was pronounced dead at the scene. Prom was found severely injured and taken to HCMC.

Witnesses said the two were in the crosswalk when a vehicle traveling north on Meadowbrook Lane struck them. A witness told police Sherman’s vehicle was “traveling very fast” and did not appear to slow down before striking them, the complaint said.

Sherman said he was “freaking out” after he “just hit two people with my car,” the complaint continued.

Sherman refused to provide police with a preliminary breath test. A blood sample taken from Sherman was submitted for testing by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Results showed that Sherman was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the crash.

A law enforcement analysis of Sherman’s cellphone revealed that “he had been engaged in texting/use of his phone while driving and just prior to the collision,” the complaint noted.