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Arrest made after Sealy's fatal crash
Posted: Monday May 22, 2000 08:29 PM
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The State Patrol on Monday arrested the 43-year-old man believed responsible for the wrong-way crash that killed Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Malik Sealy. Investigators have until noon Wednesday to present the case to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for formal charges against Souksangouane Phengsene, of Minneapolis, who remained under guard at Hennepin County Medical Center, where he's being treated for serious injuries. Investigators said Phengsene was driving the wrong way on Highway 100 early Saturday morning when his pickup smashed into Sealy's sports-utility truck in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park, fatally injuring the popular player, who was returning from teammate Kevin Garnett's 24th birthday celebration. Blood-alcohol tests were under way. The Timberwolves are planning to take their charter airplane to the funeral Friday on the campus of St. John's University, where Sealy starred before being drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 1992. All the players except Rasho Nesterovic, who has returned to Slovenia, are expected to attend the service. On Monday, Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders attended a memorial ceremony in Golden Valley for mentor Bill Musselman, who coached him at the University of Minnesota in the 1970s and served as the T'wolves' first coach. Saunders broke down as a prayer at that service was said for Sealy, who is survived by his newlywed wife, Lisa, and their 3-year-old son, Malik Remington. "I had a tough time today," Saunders said. "But I think it's going to be that way for a while. It's going to be like that for our players for a while." Sealy was coming off the best season of his eight-year NBA career. After the T'wolves stumbled to a terrible start, Sealy cracked the starting lineup and sparked Minnesota to its best season ever. "I hear people say we had a great year, 50 wins. But that doesn't matter. Because no matter what, this year will go down as a loss," Saunders said. None of the players were talking to the media yet, but T'wolves vice president Kevin McHale said sadness had replaced shock throughout the organization. "It's just a tremendous loss for his friends, his family, his wife, his son, teammates, college friends," McHale said. "One life touched so many different people." Lisa Sealy released a statement saying the family was deeply moved by the sympathy of the Timberwolves, the NBA, friends and the public. She said the family was "thankful to know that Malik was loved by so many." McHale said the team held no animosity for Souksangouane, who will be booked into the Hennepin County Jail to await formal charges once he's released from the hospital. "If being angry brought back Malik Sealy, I think we'd all be angry," McHale said. "But nothing anybody's going to do or say right now is going to change the events of 4 a.m. on May 20. That's written in stone." Sealy was one of the more affable and intelligent players in pro sports. He had parts in commercials and movies and was a successful businessman. He played for the Pacers, Clippers and Pistons before finding a niche with the tight-knit T'wolves. Saunders said that although Sealy was a free agent, he was certain the 30-year-old guard/forward was planning to stay in Minnesota. The grieving will take a long time because players are scattered for the summer and will revisit the tragedy when they report to camp, Saunders said. Saunders and McHale are particularly concerned about their star, Garnett, who worshipped Sealy so much that he patterned his play after him and chose No. 21 in his honor. "The fortunate thing for Kevin is he had an opportunity to play with somebody he idolized growing up," Saunders said. "You don't always have that opportunity. Malik touched his life and instilled a lot of positive qualities in KG. So, yeah, we're concerned." McHale said he'll draw on his experiences grieving the death of Boston Celtics teammate Reggie Lewis, who died of heart failure in 1993. "As time goes by, you do remember the smiles and the laughter," McHale said. "You remember a lot of the positive things. "I think the pain subsides and the memories stay forever."
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