Charges: Suspect BAC in Minn. Crash 4 Times Limit

A 38-year-old Starbuck man has been charged in a Western Minnesota crash that killed a 5-month-old boy, and left the boy's father and grandmother critically injured.

The boy's father, 33-year-old Brad Bigler, is the men's basketball coach at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Dana Schoen was charged with three counts of criminal vehicular homicide or operation, and one count of driving while intoxicated.

The State Patrol says the crash occurred in Pope County on Saturday evening.

Authorities say Schoen swerved on State Highway 29 into oncoming traffic and hit the vehicle driven by Bigler's wife.

Bigler's 5-month-old son, Drake, was killed. Bigler was critically injured. His wife, Heather, and her 74-year-old grandmother, Sharon Schuler of Granite Falls, also were hurt.

According to the criminal complaint, troopers responding to the scene found a SUV and truck in the ditch. The entire passenger side of the SUV was ripped off, and the truck had severe front end damage.

When troopers arrived, two people remained inside the SUV. Troopers learned an ambulance had already taken a woman, later identified as  Heather Bigler, and her baby to Glacial Ridge Health System.

A man, later identified as Brad Bigler, remained in the front passenger seat of the SUV, and a woman, later identified as Schuler, was in the back. The woman was taken by ambulance to Glacial Ridge Health System.

A man standing near the SUV told a trooper that he had been driving the truck, and was the only occupant. The man was later identified as Schoen.

A trooper reported smelling a strong odor of alcohol while talking to Schoen.

Schoen's eyes were bloodshot, his speech was slurred and he was swaying. When the trooper asked if Schoen had been drinking that day he replied that he had 'a couple/few.'

When the trooper said he was going to give Schoen a breath test he replied that he was going to "flunk." The preliminary breath test indicated that Schoen had a blood alcohol content of .351.

Schoen was arrested, and proceeded to apparently fall asleep in the squad car.

Troopers found two empty beer cans, and four unopened beer cans in Schoen's truck.

Brad Bigler has been in critical condition, but he can now talk. The Marshall Independent Newspaper reports Bigler has several broken ribs and a broken shoulder blade.

The Associated Press Contributed to this Report.

Tweet