KIRKWOOD, Mo. — A 19-year-old man was charged with second-degree murder and multiple other charges in connection with a May 4 crash that killed an assistant principal.
John Brink was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder, DWI leading to a death and resisting arrest by fleeing for his alleged role in the crash that killed 45-year-old Sarah Howell.
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A 45-year-old woman was driving southbound through the intersection of Geyer and Big Bend roads when a vehicle struck her car at around 9 p.m. According to charging documents, her car was struck by Brink's, which was driving at speeds of up to 99 mph while fleeing a police officer.
According to the charging documents, the officer was driving on southbound Kirkwood Road when Brink pulled out and nearly struck the police vehicle. The officer then turned his car around and began pursuing Brink's car. In charging documents, the officer said he was turning off his police lights and sirens and radioing in Brink's car when Brink struck Howell's car.
Charging documents said a passenger in the car told officers that he and Brink were cruising around in the car and drinking from an alcoholic drink in a gallon jug, which was found inside the car after the crash. The passenger told police that Brink was drunk at the time of the crash and the light was red when they drove through the intersection.
Brink denied drinking before the crash and denied to provide a blood sample for alcohol testing. After getting a search warrant for Brink's blood. Six hours after the crash, his BAC was still .05.
Charging documents said officers analyzed the black box data from Brink's car, which showed that he was traveling at speeds up to 99 mph. The speed limit at the scene of the crash was 35 mph.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the suspect's age.
