North St. Paul woman receives stayed sentence for drunken driving crash that killed ex-husband

A North St. Paul woman was sentenced on Tuesday in connection with a drunken driving crash that killed her ex-husband.

Bobbie Jo Braun, 53, received a stayed sentence in connection with the crash.

For the criminal vehicular homicide charge, she received a sentence of nearly five years(57 months), but that sentence will be stayed for the duration of her five-year probation. She also was sentenced to serve 58 days in Dakota County Jail, but had credit for 58 days already served.

Braun, also identified in court records as Bobbie Jo Puttbrese, was initially charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide and two counts of criminal vehicular operation, which she pleaded guilty to on Oct. 24, 2023, according to court records.

The sentence for the criminal vehicular homicide charge will be served concurrently with the two criminal vehicular operation charges.

Braun must also serve 100 hours of community service and electronic alcohol home monitoring, as well as pay $155 in fees. She will also pay restitution, but the amount has not yet been determined.

“I’m disappointed with the court’s downward dispositional departure decision, given Ms. Braun’s actions in this case,” said Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena in a statement. “My condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Mr. Craven.”  

RELATED: Woman pleads guilty for drunken driving crash that killed ex-husband

As previously reported, police responded to the crash around 3:20 p.m. on June 5, on Concord Street near Chestnut Street in South St. Paul. An officer found Braun sitting on the sidewalk near the crash, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint states that Braun showed signs of intoxication and admitted to being drunk. Her blood-alcohol concentration was .201, more than twice the legal limit.

Braun also told police that she was driving the van involved in the crash and hit the other vehicle involved, court documents said.

Paul Edward Craven, 61, Braun’s ex-husband who was in the front passenger seat of the van, was taken to a hospital but later died.

Two others were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained in the crash.

The driver of the truck and a witness both told police that the van crossed the center lane and hit the truck head-on, which was confirmed by watching surveillance video from a nearby business.

Court records note that Braun had prior misdemeanor convictions for intoxicated driving in 1993 and 2000.