She continues to believe that sometimes horrible things happen and it is just an accident.
A judge ordered Thursday that Koua Fong Lee, the St. Paul man convicted of criminal vehicular homicide for a 2006 crash that killed three people, be released from prison and granted a new trial.
Less than an hour after the judge's ruling, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner announced that she won't seek a new trial, ending Lee's four-year legal odyssey.
Lee, 32, was convicted of criminal vehicular homicide after the crash, in which he hit three other cars stopped at a red light. The crash killed three people, and Lee had been serving an eight-year prison sentence.
Lee has always maintained that he tried to brake, but that his 1996 Toyota Camry suddenly accelerated, ramming into the stopped cars.
Millions of newer Toyotas have been recalled this year because of sudden acceleration problems. Lee's attorneys have argued that Lee's car had a similar problem, even though Camrys from that year weren't a part of the recent recalls.
Judge Joanne Smith cited several reasons for her decision to grant a new trial, including new information that was uncovered since the original trial. Smith cited the testimony of 11 drivers who reported unintended acceleration, and said that the prosecution's expert was mistaken about whether or not Lee's car had an anti-lock braking system.
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