Tesla Driver Pleads Guilty to Murder in Fatal St. Paul Crash

Musab Kosar, a 23-year-old man from Fridley, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder this week after causing a fatal high-speed crash in St. Paul. The plea was entered shortly before a jury trial was scheduled to begin on Monday. Kosar had been initially charged with criminal vehicular homicide last November.

Details of the Collision

The incident occurred around 2 a.m. on a Wednesday. According to a criminal complaint, a state trooper observed Kosar’s Tesla on the ramp from Pascal Street to eastbound Interstate 94 traveling nearly 30 mph over the speed limit. Authorities allege the vehicle later reached speeds exceeding 100 mph.

The trooper followed the Tesla without using sirens or lights. As the driver exited at Dale Street, the trooper observed the vehicle’s lights being turned off. At the top of the ramp, the trooper discovered the Tesla had crashed into a Toyota RAV4. The driver of the RAV4, 31-year-old Benjamin Villano, was killed in the collision.

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Passenger and Driver Report No Memory of Crash

Upon arriving at the scene, the trooper found Kosar and a 19-year-old female passenger covered in blood and in significant pain. Both individuals told the trooper they had no memory of the crash, a claim Kosar repeated later at a hospital.

The passenger informed investigators that she had asked Kosar to stop speeding in the past, though she stated she did not believe he was speeding on the night of the crash.

Legal Proceedings

With the guilty plea now entered, Kosar’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22.

Minnesota State Patrol Lieutenant Mike Lee emphasized the danger of such conduct, stating, “When people are driving fast, it’s just so ridiculous and then so dangerous, because of instances like this. Speed limits are to be followed. It’s a limit to be at, not to exceed.”

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