An unlicensed driver fleeing one crash caused another moments later in Duluth and killed a nun in the other vehicle, according to a criminal complaint.
Damien John Brown, 24, was charged in St. Louis County District Court with criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the collision on May 9, 2024, that killed Sister Arlene Kleemann more than six weeks later.
Brown was charged by summons and is due in court on June 2. Brown could not be reached for his response to the allegations.
A few weeks after the fatal crash, Brown was caught driving in Duluth while drunk and was convicted, court records show. His blood alcohol content at the time was 0.22%, nearly three times the legal limit for driving in Minnesota.
A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by Kleemann’s heirs and family. Brown’s attorney in that case has been contacted for comment in both cases.
Along with the drunken-driving conviction, Minnesota court records also show that Brown has been convicted at least 11 times for either having his license suspended, revoked or not having one; three times for speeding; and once each for hit-and-run property damage, careless driving and drug possession.
Kleemann was in her 61st year of monastic profession at the time of her death, according to her obituary.
She earned an education and music degree from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth and became a beloved teacher and principal at St. James Elementary School in West Duluth.
