ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Two men were charged Saturday with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and second-degree assault in connection with a crash a day earlier that killed a construction worker and injured another in south St. Louis County, police said.
Deondre Robinson and Patrick Aten, both 18, were racing each other at "very high speeds" shortly after 10:30 a.m. in the 9900 block of South Broadway. Robinson lost control of the car he was driving and left the roadway, hitting Christopher Johnson and Carl Seese, who were working on the awning of a building, police said.
Marvin Rudloff, the owner of Glenlo Awning and Window Co. in Imperial, said Johnson and Seese were among six men replacing the awning outside Rediscover Antiques and Collectibles when they were hit.
Rudloff said Johnson was handing materials to Seese, who was on a ladder, when they were hit.
Johnson, 34, was dragged under Robinson's car and was pronounced dead at the scene. Carl Seese, 58, was seriously injured, including lacerations to his head, and was taken by ambulance to a St. Louis area hospital.
"It happened so fast. It's devastating. We're a family business," Rudloff said.
"All of these guys, they're like brothers. My six guys work together every day and now they’re missing their brother and Chris’ son is missing his dad. We brought him into the company three years ago. It was a perfect fit."
The speed limit along the stretch of roadway where the crash happened is 40 mph.
"It's like a racetrack here. I can hear cars speeding by every day," said James Finklang, who lives near the crash scene. His surveillance camera captured video of the speeding cars directly before the crash.
Robinson did not have a valid driver's license, police said. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle without a valid license.
"All of my guys are in shock and devastated. This isn’t supposed to happen when you come to work," Rudloff said.
Tom Kempland, who owns the building the men were working on, said the awning had been damaged by a hit-and-run driver earlier this year.
Robinson and Aten were being held at the St. Louis County Jail on a $150,000 bond.
Police asked anyone with information to call St. Louis County police at 636-529-8210 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).