Motorcyclist pleads guilty in death of girlfriend who fell of his bike on Interstate 35

By St. Paul Pioneer Press on Jan 24, 2018 at 9:36 p.m.
Myles Wyatt Eckman

ST. PAUL -- A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of his girlfriend after she fell from his motorcycle.

Myles Wyatt Eckman, 25, was driving the motorcycle in November 2016 with Ena M. Bhatia, 21, of St. Paul as a passenger. She died after falling off the motorcycle on Interstate 35 in Forest Lake.

According to the charges, Eckman pulled her off the roadway after she fell, left her on the shoulder, then dumped his motorcycle in a pond.

In Washington County District Court on Monday, Eckman pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances. His sentencing date is April 2.

The criminal complaint gives the following account of the fatality.

At 4:43 a.m. Nov. 18, 2016, Minnesota State Patrol troopers found Bhatia’s body face down, with a serious head injury. No motorcycle was found nearby. A black leather jacket was found about 50 yards away.

Traffic cameras showed a passenger falling off a motorcycle at 4:30 a.m, then the motorcycle circling back,  pausing and leaving the scene.

Eckman was found in a nearby pole barn. A test of Eckman’s blood showed signs of several drugs including meth and marijuana. Bhatia was found to have amphetamine and meth in her blood, and a blood-alcohol content three times the legal limit for driving.

Explore related topics:Newscrime and courtsCrimeMinnesotaForest Lake
Advertisement