A driver's blood alcohol content was more than four times the legal limit when he slammed his car into a tree in St. Paul and inflicted fatal injuries to one of his passengers, according to charges filed Thursday.

Austin Wah, 25, of St. Paul, was charged in Ramsey County District Court with criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the crash on May 9 that killed one passenger and severely injured another.

The criminal complaint disclosed that a state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension test revealed Wah's blood alcohol content soon after the crash was 0.37%, more than 4½ times the legal limit for driving in Minnesota. It also alleged that Wah was driving roughly 60 miles per hour at the time of impact.

A warrant has been issued for Wah's arrest. Court records do not yet list an attorney for him.

According to the complaint:

Police were dispatched to the 200 block of Cottage Avenue W. about 9:50 a.m. and saw a car that had crashed head-on into a tree.

Two passengers were taken by emergency medical responders to Regions Hospital with critical injuries. Eh Htee Mya, 53, of St. Paul, died two days later. Officials have yet to identify the other passenger.

Police recovered two vodka bottles on the ground nearby, one empty and the other less than one-quarter filled.

A witness told police he knew where Wah lived. Officers went there and saw him with fresh facial and leg injuries. They smelled alcohol on his breath.

Wah's grandfather shared with police that Wah had been drinking alcohol that morning. However, Wah told medics that he was sober and that others in the car were drunk and asked him to drive to a store.

Wah said he walked to his home near the crash scene. He did not call for help after the wreck, despite knowing his two passengers were seriously injured.

A police search of Wah's bedroom turned up two beer cans in the garbage. He admitted drinking two beers before driving.

Wah claimed to police that he hit the brake pedal when he saw a stop sign, but the "car made a loud noise as it accelerated," the charges read.