Minnesota Republicans question investigation into car crash involving two DFL leaders

A automotive crash involving two distinguished state DFL leaders was totally investigated, the top of the Minnesota State Patrol stated Friday, together with particulars about an open alcohol container that was discovered within the automotive.

The Redwood County lawyer investigated and reviewed the case, after which State Auditor Julie Blaha was cited for failing to yield after slowing to a cease at Hwy. 67 and County Highway 13. A narrative Friday by Alpha Information cited State Patrol area experiences noting an open can of White Claw Onerous Seltzer, an alcoholic beverage, was discovered within the automotive.

“An open alcohol container was discovered within the automobile … but no one was charged with an open-container violation,” the story states.

In response to the Alpha Information report, prime state Republicans stated extra must be defined concerning the crash.

“Elected officers are all the time held to a better normal,” Senate Deputy Majority Chief Karin Housley, R-Stillwater, stated in a written assertion.

The rollover crash involving Blaha and Senate Minority Chief Melisa López Franzen occurred Aug. 4 after they left Farmfest in Redwood County and had been headed to a DFL fundraiser.

The Jeep Cherokee pushed by Blaha collided with a semitrailer truck and landed the other way up in a roadside ditch. Neither lady was significantly injured, and the truck driver was unharmed.

In accordance with State Patrol experiences despatched to the Star Tribune, the White Claw can was on a backpack that belonged to Franzen and was discovered close to the again seat. When a trooper discovered the can, Blaha stated she did not comprehend it was within the automotive and agreed to take a pre-Breathalyzer take a look at, based on the sphere report. The take a look at confirmed zero alcohol.

“This crash was totally and objectively investigated by the State Patrol, together with the driving conduct, business automobile inspection, and the small print surrounding the White Claw container,” State Patrol Col. Matt Langer stated in a press release Friday. “The file was submitted for overview by the native prosecutor, in line with different excessive profile circumstances. The results of that overview was a quotation issued to the motive force for the driving error that triggered the crash.”

Donald McFarland, a spokesperson for Blaha’s workplace, stated Franzen had consumed the White Claw earlier within the day and put the can in her backpack so it could possibly be recycled later. Within the automotive, she was consuming a can of nonalcoholic fruit juice she had pulled from a cooler, he stated.

“There was no open-container cost as a result of regulation enforcement got here to that conclusion,” McFarland stated. “I feel they did their due diligence.”

In a taped interview with a state trooper the day after the accident, Morgan Hearth Division Assistant Chief Justin Blomeke stated the can of White Claw spilled when he retrieved the backpack. He stated the can should have been fairly full given how a lot spilled out, and that the can was “very chilly” indicating it was opened not too long ago, based on the trooper’s interview notes.

When troopers arrived on the accident scene, it grew to become clear to them that the 2 girls had been elected officers. Franzen was sporting a reputation tag on her shirt stating that she was with “MN Senate District 49.”

When a trooper requested the place they had been going, Franzen stated they had been coming from Farmfest and headed to an “after celebration.” She advised the trooper she was an elected official and that the motive force was the state auditor.

DFL Celebration Chair Ken Martin, who additionally was at Farmfest, arrived on the scene in a DFL-marked van shortly after Franzen referred to as him to report that she and Blaha had been in an accident, based on Brian Evans, communications director for the DFL. Speaking to troopers, Martin requested if the ladies had been damage and supplied to assist contact their households as a result of he was a good friend of the 2, Evans stated.

In an e-mail despatched Aug. 4 to one of many troopers investigating the crash, State Patrol Lt. Matthew Sorenson stated the case could be turned over to the county lawyer for overview.

“In your report, don’t advocate expenses at the moment, solely put within the info, statements and proof you may have,” Sorenson instructed the trooper. “We’ll compile all of the experiences and submit a packet to the county lawyer for them to overview and go off of their suggestion on expenses.”

In October, the troopers investigating the crash had been advised by a supervisor by way of e-mail that Redwood County Lawyer Jenna Peterson really useful that the State Patrol problem a quotation to “the at-fault driver” for the crash. Makes an attempt to achieve Peterson on Friday had been unsuccessful.

Housley stated the small print left extra questions than solutions.

“The general public deserves higher from their leaders and we’ve many questions left unaddressed from August which are solely now coming to mild,” she stated.

State GOP Celebration Chair David Hann additionally issued a written assertion demanding extra details about the crash. “Minnesotans should know the total reality about this incident,” he stated.

In a written assertion launched Friday, Franzen stated she was grateful that the investigation had introduced the matter to an in depth. “There was completely no consuming and driving on August 4, nor was alcohol an element within the accident,” she stated.