Washington County authorities have filed criminal charges against the driver of a semi-tractor trailer who rear-ended and killed a motorist stopped at a red light Tuesday on Minnesota 36 in Lake Elmo.

The charges allege that the truck driver was looking at his cellphone for eight seconds before his eastbound 2016 Freightliner slammed into the back of a 2015 Toyota Scion XB stopped at Lake Elmo Avenue shortly after noon.

Samuel Hicks, 28, of Independence, Wis., made no effort to brake as his truck made impact at 63 mph. Investigators cited footage from a rear- and front-facing camera in the semi’s cab that showed Hicks holding his cell phone in his right hand, the complaint states. “(Hicks) was looking down at his phone at the moment of impact. The video shows (the car) was at a complete stop with its brake lights clearly illuminated and the semaphore was red.”

Hicks was charged via warrant with one count of criminal vehicular homicide. He is being held at the Washington County Jail; he turned himself in at 1:50 p.m. Thursday.

At first, Hicks told investigators that he observed a green light at Lake Elmo Avenue from a distance but then became distracted by another vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. But upon further questioning, he admitted he was using his phone while texting with his girlfriend and using the Zillow real estate app to look up information about a house.

The collision was so severe that officers were unable to determine the make and model of the car. The vehicle’s “rear end was completely pushed in, almost up to the driver’s side door,” the complaint states. “Due to the severe damage to the vehicle, officers and medical personnel were unable to extract the deceased from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the Lake Elmo Fire Department where the extrication occurred.”

The speed limit on that stretch of Minnesota 36 is 65 mph.

The man killed in the collision was an Amery, Wis., businessman and biology instructor at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park.

Robert J. Bursik, 54, was married and a father of three, his obituary says. He was the owner and founder of Dragonfly Gardens, a nursery and greenhouse with locations in Amery and Turtle Lake, Wis. The business specializes in native plants, wetlands, forest wildflowers, annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables.

Bursik graduated from Marathon, Wis., High School in 1982 and from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1986. He received a master’s degree in botany from the University of Idaho.

“His love for plants and growing them started when he worked for his parent’s business, Bursik’s Greenhouse, in Rib Mountain, Wis.,” according to his obituary. “He was referred to as ‘the boy’ by customers who sought him out for his knowledge, passion, and charm.”

Bursik started his teaching career as a biology instructor in 1991 at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash. He taught at several colleges in the metro area, including the College of Visual Arts, Augsburg University and Inver Hills Community College.

Most recently, Bursik taught biology at North Hennepin Community College for more than 20 years, and was an adviser for the college’s Student Environmental Association.

“Rob will be greatly missed by his colleagues, our students and our campus community,” said Barbara McDonald, president of NHCC. “He has touched the lives of so many, and will be remembered for his passion for the sciences, his commitment to students, and his ability to inspire those around him.”

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Tenant sentenced in Willernie animal-cruelty case that caused death of landlady’s ‘dear little dog’ Bursik also taught at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights and served as a consultant in botanical services to government agencies, conservation groups and lake associations.

He is survived by his wife, Jessica, and three children.

Visitation will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Williamson-White Funeral Home in Amery, which is handling funeral arrangements. There also will be a celebration of Bursik’s life at Dragonfly Gardens this summer.