Independence driver accused of using cellphone before fatal crash

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — A truck driver from Trempealeau County is accused of using his cellphone before causing a fatal accident and is facing criminal charges.

Wayne Hicks of Independence, Wis., allegedly was texting his girlfriend and searching for houses on his phone just before his truck rear-ended another car, east of St. Paul.

The car’s driver, Robert Bursick of Amery, was killed, pronounced dead at the scene. The collision was so severe that officers were unable to determine the make and model of the car.

Investigators say Hicks was going 63 miles an hour and didn’t try to stop before the crash Tuesday. The 28-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison if he’s found guilty of criminal vehicular homicide.