Ely man accused of fleeing, stealing car after crash that injured woman

April 09-- Apr. 9--A drunken driver crashed his vehicle in the parking lot of an Ely-area bar before abandoning three passengers, including one who was seriously injured, while he walked to a residence and stole another car, according to court documents.

August Arthur Sandberg, 39, faces three felony charges in connection with the incident, which started early Wednesday outside Samz Place, 1225 Winton Road.

A passenger in his pickup truck, identified as Patricia Lemke, was going in and out of consciousness when authorities responded to the scene shortly after 2:20 a.m., according to a criminal complaint.

Lemke was later airlifted to a Duluth hospital. The exact nature of her injuries was unknown, and she was not listed as a patient at either facility on Monday.

Sandberg, meanwhile, left the scene on foot, walking about three miles north to a residence on Cloquet Line Road, according to the complaint. He allegedly entered the home and took a set of keys to another pickup truck.

The truck was discovered a short time later outside Sandberg's apartment in Ely -- about three miles south of the crash site -- and he was arrested, the complaint said.

Sandberg was arraigned Friday in State District Court in Virginia on charges of first-degree burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and criminal vehicular operation resulting in substantial bodily harm.

According to the complaint:

St. Louis County deputies first responded to the parking lot Samz Place, where a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado had crashed. The three female passengers would not say who was driving, other than that it was a male. Deputies at the scene used vehicle registration and insurance documents to trace the vehicle back to Sandberg.

Footprints were tracked to a residence on the 2700 block of Cloquet Line Road, where a 2014 Ford SRW was reported stolen. The owner, who said he had not given anyone permission to take the vehicle, reported he had left the keys on a counter. He said he was sleeping and did not hear anyone enter his house overnight.

Meanwhile, the Ely Police Department found the stolen Ford on the 400 block of East Sheridan Street. Officers found footprints in the snow leading to the entrance of an apartment above an art gallery.

Inside the entryway, a deputy found a pair of shoes with a tread pattern matching those observed outside the apartment, at the scene where the truck was stolen and at the original crash site.

The deputy made contact with Sandberg, who he reported to have slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and poor balance. As he was escorted from the apartment, the defendant attempted to put on the shoes found in the entryway.

A search warrant was obtained for officers to collect a blood sample from Sandberg. Results were not immediately available.

Sandberg was released from the St. Louis County Jail on bond after making his initial court appearance.

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