The driver who fatally crashed his car on Wednesday killed a 34-year-old St. Paul jogger last week has been diagnosed with brain tumors. According to a longtime friend, Mile Salovich, the driver, Peter Holmes Berge, 60 years old, was later hospitalized on Friday after being released from jail. Doctors have reportedly found brain lesions during the medical examination.
A drug-recognition officer who was present at the scene wrote in a search warrant that Peter Holmes Berge appeared "to be under the influence of one or more substances and is unsafe to drive a motor vehicle." However, Mike Salovich says the accusations are not true. He adds that Berge, who is a lawyer, feels "totally devastated" that he has killed an innocent man.
Scott Spoo, the St. Paul jogger, was not wearing any headphones or earbuds when he was hit. Officers think Berge was being under the influence, or even on his phone, when the accident occurred. Salovich says that Berge previously doesn't know anything of his cancer, neither do any of their friends, the West Central Tribune reports.
Salovich says that his friend was so shook up right after the accident that the police officers may have interpreted this behavior erroneously. He adds that the arresting officers apparently didn't think about a possible medical issue associated with Berge's shaking. A breath alcohol test showed negative in Berge's system after the incident, the Pioneer Press reports.
Salovich believes that the crash happened because both driver and the St. Paul jogger didn't see each other. He adds that Berge's symptoms were subtle, and that he does not believe they caused the crash since Berge was able to drive around all day before the accident. He does think that the subsequent police examination of Berge helped uncover his medical issue.
