Charges filed in Lafayette Bluff Tunnel crash

39-year-old Patches Magickbeans of Hartland, Wisconsin, faces several criminal charges, including posession of psilocybin mushrooms, after authorities say he crashed a van into a construction zone near the Lafayette Tunnel on Highway 61 on June 19, causing serious injuries to a worker.

According to court documents, deputies responded to the scene around 3:50 p.m. They found a van, registered to Magickbeans, flipped on its side with significant damage. The crash involved a scissor lift and resulted in a construction worker suffering critical, life-threatening injuries. Another worker was on a light fixture and had “no way of getting down.” After the worker was assisted, he stated he heard cones getting hit and saw a van quickly moving in their direction. An off-duty police officer was also following behind Magickbeans, who observed the van swerving on the road, hitting the traffic cones, then ultimately hitting the scissor lift, with the van rolling several times before coming to a stop.

The responding deputies report Magickbeans appeared disoriented, saying things that did not make sense, and was observed swinging his arms with abnormally wide-open eyelids. Troopers noted he had erratic movements, dazed eyes and was unable to focus. Formal blood test results are pending.

During the rescue, emergency workers removed a plastic container from the van containing two large bags of suspected Psilocybin Mushrooms, weighing approximately 89.5 grams.

In an interview, Magickbeans told authorities he did not recall the construction zone or the crash, and the last thing he remembered was driving in Cloquet. He stated he did not drink alcohol or consume drugs that day, but admitted to foraging the Psilocybin Mushrooms for personal use, and consuming a small amount the day before the crash, along with an edible. Magickbeans states nothing will be in his blood and does not know why he hit the construction workers.

Magickbeans is charged with two counts of Criminal Vehicular Operation and one count of Controlled Substance Crime in the Second Degree.