A guilty Plea and an Apology
Byline: Jim Adams; Staff Writer
Shortly after pleading guilty to careless driving Wednesday, a St. Paul woman apologized to the family of a Hastings teenager struck and killed by her car as he helped a stranded motorist on a Minneapolis freeway in August.
"I take responsibility for what happened. I just wanted to apologize for all the pain I have caused," said Bao N. Vu, turning to face the family of Casey Schluessler, 17. They and Vu's parents sat silently in a Hennepin County courtroom.
"I am sorry. I will always keep him in my prayers," said Vu, 22.
Judge Jack Nordby accepted her plea and dismissed a second misdemeanor count. He ordered Vu to pay a $300 fine, to perform 80 hours of community service and to take a driving course. The judge commended both families for their lack of anger and recrimination.
Casey Schluessler had stopped on Aug. 22 to change a flat tire for Mariana Duran Mateo on the narrow median shoulder on Interstate Hwy. 94, just east of the Mississippi River.
Trying to avoid a traffic backup, Vu pulled into the median area and hit the back of Duran Mateo's Ford Explorer. Vu's car landed on Schluessler and pinned Duran Mateo, 47, of Minneapolis, against a concrete median barrier. Numerous motorists stopped and pulled Vu's car off Schluessler. He died from his injuries a day later.
Schluessler's family and Duran Mateo, who suffered a broken leg and pelvic bones, approved of the plea agreement, attorneys said.
Earlier Wednesday, Vu and her parents met for the first time with Schluessler's parents, aunt and grandmother in a court conference room. Vu apologized and read a letter to the Schluesslers that brought tears to their eyes. She shared a verse she heard when her grandma died: "Death leaves a heartache that no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal."
But when Vu asked for a hug from Barbara Schluessler, Casey's mother declined.
"It was too much," Schluessler said later. "I said, `Thank you.' ... I am really glad she pled guilty. ... It will help. We can close this chapter now."
Schluessler, wearing a button picturing her son, said she was proud of his stopping to help a stranded woman that day. "He went out a hero," she said, tears welling up. "Casey would have forgiven [Vu]. I am working on that. I'm just not all the way there yet."
Schluessler said some of her initial anger has subsided.
She said her family, including Casey's younger brother and sister, have had some sleepless nights.
The family celebrated what would have been Casey's 18th birthday in January at the alternative school he attended in Farmington. "We had pizza and 18 blue balloons," his mother said. She said the family has given money donated in Casey's memory to buy video and digital cameras for his school, and has given money to the Children's Hospital.
Casey's father, Randy Schluessler, said Vu's remorse appeared sincere. "She wasn't drinking or anything. It was an accident," he said. "It is just something you have to deal with and keep remembering and move on."
Vu had no prior driving offenses, noted her attorney, Douglas Nepp.
Court papers said a witness reported that Vu's car appeared to lose control as she switched from the center to the far left lane and then hit the parked vehicle. An accident reconstruction report concluded Vu was driving between 55 and 60 miles per hour when she started skidding on the 55 mph-limit highway on a clear Sunday afternoon.
"She took responsibility today and did the right thing," said Jeff Sieben, the Schluessler family's attorney. Sieben said he is working with Vu's insurance company to get a damage settlement for Schluessler's death.
Jim Adams is at jadams@startribune.com.
