Man charged with criminal vehicular homicide in crash that left woman, dog dead

A man is facing charges in a crash that resulted in the death of a woman and dog in Clay County over the weekend.

Christopher Thomas Pink, 28, was charged on Tuesday with one count of criminal vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol.

According to the criminal complaint, a state trooper responded to a crash on Highway 75 in Clay County at around 6:58 p.m. Saturday.

The trooper found two vehicles with severe damage — a white Toyota Tundra overturned on its roof and a white Jeep Compass facing south in the northbound lane with severe damage to the front of the vehicle.

Bystanders told authorities that the driver of the Toyota, later identified as Pink, was “getting out of hand” and needed to be detained. The trooper approached Pink and noticed a strong smell of alcohol and slurred speech.

The complaint says Pink refused to comply with any tests to determine if he was safe to drive. He was arrested and brought to Clay County Jail, where a blood sample was taken.

Court records state the woman driving the Jeep, 43-year-old Jennifer Elizabeth Watson, died as a result of her injuries. A dog was also found in the Jeep, but died on the way to an animal hospital.

A witness told officials that Pink was driving north in the southbound lane of Highway 75 when it crashed with the Jeep head-on.

According to court documents, Pink had a receipt from the Buffalo Wild Wings in Moorhead, which showed multiple drinks were bought. Surveillance video from the restaurant showed Pink sitting at the bar, consuming alcohol and taking shots. At one point, Pink was seen stumbling through the restaurant and dropping things on the floor.

The surveillance video then showed Pink driving away in a white Toyota Tundra that matched the one from the crash.

Pink’s first court appearance is scheduled for March 11.