Charges: Minnesota woman was drunk and going 124 mph before fatal crash
A 21-year-old woman has been charged with multiple felonies connected to a deadly drunk-driving crash in Maple Grove last September.
April F. Oleary, of Otsego, is accused of driving while impaired when she allegedly caused a fatal, three-vehicle crash on the 15500 block of County Road 81 around 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 12, 2021.
Crash reconstruction by the Minnesota State Patrol revealed that Oleary was driving a Volvo sedan and reached a speed of 124 mph just seconds before she slammed into the back of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was forced into oncoming traffic and collided with a Toyota Sienna, according to the charging documents.
First responders arrived at the scene to find the driver of the Toyota, 67-year-old woman Phousalinh Khounpanya, of Dayton, pinned inside her badly damaged vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, a 31-year-old man, was pinned in the driver's seat. His face was bleeding and his left leg was broken, with the criminal complaint explaining that his leg "was crushed, bleeding, and a bone was exposed." He was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Oleary was uninjured in the crash, though police detected a "strong odor of consumed alcoholic beverage emanating from her." Police said she had "bloodshot watery eyes."
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A preliminary breath test taken at the scene showed an alcohol concentration of 0.19, which is more than twice the legal limit. Oleary told officers that she drank "two Coronas" at about 5:30 p.m., which was 11 hours before the crash. A blood sample obtained via a search warrant later revealed the presence of illegal THC, the criminal complaint said.
Olearly was booked into the Hennepin County Jail around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, Mar. 1.
"The State Patrol determined that the speed at which [Oleary] was driving was the primary contributing factor in the accident. The State Patrol determined that a secondary contributing factor was [Oleary's] alcohol impairment," the charges state.
She has been charged with three counts of criminal vehicular homicide and three counts of criminal vehicular operation. She is due in court Wednesday, Mar. 2.
