Woman sentenced for eastern Minnesota crash that killed 1 child, injured 5 others
A 36-year-old woman has been sentenced for a head-on crash in Chisago County, Minnesota, that killed one child and injured five other people, according to court records filed Monday.
The Coon Rapids, Minnesota, woman was given a four-year sentence by a judge, with credit for 224 days served. At least 2/3 of that sentence will be spent in prison. She pleaded guilty to one count of criminal vehicular homicide and two counts of criminal vehicular operation in August.
The two-vehicle crash happened during the evening of March 14 on Rush Lake Trail in Nessel Township. According to charges, the woman was driving a Chevrolet Cruze with two children inside when the sedan crossed over the center line and collided with a Chrysler Pacifica traveling in the opposite direction. Responding law enforcement saw that both vehicles had heavy front-end damage and debris scattered across the road, according to charges.
A woman and three children were inside the Chrysler minivan at the time of the crash. They were all taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
A 4-year-old in the back seat of the Chevrolet died less than six days after the crash, charges said. The other child, a 3-year-old, suffered a broken collarbone.
Charges said a deputy at the scene suspected the Chevy driver was using drugs because she "had [a] difficult time keeping her eyes open, watery eyes with a dazed glaze, very droopy eyelids, and poor hygiene."
She admitted to using meth "a couple days ago" and weed the day before, according to court documents, and told the deputies there was drug paraphernalia in her car. A deputy trained to recognize drug use believed she likely used meth within the last 24 hours and was impaired at the time of the crash.
While searching the car, deputies found a pipe with meth in it, charges said.
The woman was originally charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide and five counts of criminal vehicular operation. Three counts of criminal vehicular operation were dropped as part of a plea agreement, court records show.
