ELK RIVER, Minn. - A Monticello man was sentenced to nearly five years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to causing a crash that killed two people on a motorcycle.
Cody James Moen received concurrent sentences of 48 and 58 months in prison from a Sherburne County judge, which means he will serve them at the same time. He was sentenced on two counts of criminal vehicular homicide for causing the deaths of 31-year-old Brien Orland Wickham and 26-year-old Jacquelyn Michelle Lee.
Wickham and Lee were killed April 18 after the motorcycle they were riding on was struck by a vehicle driven by Moen.
Witnesses and an accident reconstruction by the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office determined that Moen was traveling at approximately 95 miles per hour when he attempted to pass another vehicle in a no passing lane on the right shoulder of Sherburne County Road 17, skidded across the northbound lanes of the road, crossed the median, and struck the motorcycle.
Wickham was declared dead on the scene: Lee was airlifted to a Twin Cities hospital and later died from her injuries.
"This was an extremely difficult case for the families of Brien Wickham and Jacquelyn Lee," said Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott in a written statement. "My deepest condolences to them and I hope that the healing process for them can start with the sentencing of Mr. Moen."
As part of his sentence Moen was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim's families and provide a DNA sample. He was taken into custody immediately following the hearing to begin serving his sentence.
Moen has a history of driving troubles, including convictions for reckless driving and fleeing police.
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