Man arrested in deadly Anoka crash had open wine inside vehicle, BAC 3 times legal limit, charges say
Authorities say a Twin Cities man arrested after a fatal crash Monday evening had a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.
A 37-year-old man from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, was charged Wednesday with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol, according to a complaint filed in Anoka County.
Police were called to a crash on the 1000 block of North Street in Anoka, Minnesota, just after 6:30 p.m.
Reports say the 37-year-old man had been driving a minivan westbound on North Street when he crashed into a sedan traveling in the opposite direction. The driver of the other car, a 51-year-old woman from Ham Lake, Minnesota, died as a result of the crash.
While speaking with the minivan driver, officers noted the odor of alcohol on his breath, that his speech was slurred and his movements were delayed, charges say.
Inside the minivan, police reported finding an open box of wine underneath the passenger seat. The complaint says a cup containing a red liquid "consistent with the wine in the box" and an alcoholic odor appeared to have spilled inside the car.
The minivan driver was transported to a hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash. There, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for a blood sample, according to charging documents. Results of the test indicated an alcohol concentration of .246.
The incident remains under investigation.
