Minnesota: DUI driver who killed teen later posted photo of his wrecked death machine with smiley face on Facebook

DWI Killer Mike VanWagner laughed about his wrecked car on FB

From Star-Tribune

Minneapolis, Minn. — A 16-year-old Brooklyn Center boy clung to life for days before dying after a suspected drunken driver, without a valid license, fled one crash on a north-metro highway and ran into the teen’s car down the road moments later, authorities said.

Jason F. McCarthy, of Brooklyn Center, remained in North Memorial Medical Center on Wednesday after his family posted on CaringBridge over the weekend that “the injuries to Jason during the impact of the accident were too much for him to survive. Jason is currently on life support so family can get here and say goodbye.”

The State Patrol on Tuesday confirmed the death of McCarthy, who would have been a junior at Champlin Park High School, where he intended to return to the cross-country team for a third season.

The back-to-back crashes occurred midafternoon on July 22 along Hwy. 252 in Brooklyn Park, with both involving DUI driver Michael J. Vanwagner, 24, of Coon Rapids, according to the State Patrol.

On the Saturday before McCarthy died, Vanwagner posted photos of what was left of his vehicle on his Facebook page and wrote, “That’s her front end after I got done with her lol.” He signed that message with a smiley face.

Under a second photo, he commented: “I’m all good slept a day in the hospital then came home and did yard work lol.”

Vanwagner acknowledged posting the images and said in an interview Wednesday, “I didn’t even know I hit somebody. I just thought I hit something.” The photos and the accompanying comments were deleted Wednesday night.

It was on Wednesday, he added, that he learned that “another kid died” as Vanwagner was heading to a friend’s home in north Minneapolis.

“Police came and arrested me [Wednesday] morning and let me out because the charges won’t be coming for months,” he said.

Vanwagner said, “I know I’m looking at spending time in prison, so I’m trying to spend…..MORE