Group Home Employee, 19, Charged in Drunken High-Speed Crash

DULUTH, Minn. — A 19-year-old group home employee was driving drunk on a revoked license and reaching speeds of 100 mph with passengers on board when he caused a multi-vehicle crash in Duluth on Nov. 6, according to the criminal complaint.

Michael Edward Rahja, 19, of Duluth, is charged with one count of Criminal Vehicular Operation and one count of Felony Traffic Collision, along with two misdemeanor charges of driving with a suspended license and underage liquor consumption.

The new charges come while Rahja is currently facing Underage Drinking and Driving and DWI, which led to the revocation of his driver’s license.

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According to court documents, Rahja was driving the group home’s van with two group home passengers.  The complaint did not identify the name of the group home the suspect worked for.

One of the passengers said Rahja had been drinking prior to entering the van and had been driving recklessly for close to two hours before the crash.

Witnesses said Rajha had been driving in and out of the driving lane and passing cars.

While veered into oncoming traffic while trying to pass a car, an oncoming vehicle caused Rahja to veer back and crash into the car he was trying to pass, according to officials.

The female driver of the car had to be extricated by the Duluth Fire Department and was taken to the hospital with a fracture to her pelvis, fractures to her vertebrae L3, L4, and L5, and a concussion. Her current status was not reported in the court documents.

Rahja told police he had consumed around a ½ bottle of vodka and had been smoking marijuana. A breathalyzer test revealed his blood alcohol content was .228, nearly three times the legal limit.

He will appear in court again on Dec. 2.