On or about July 9, 2023 at approximately 6:33 P.M., Deputy Justin Kotajarvi of the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office responded to a crash with serious injuries on 410th Street near 165th Avenue in Minneola Township of Goodhue County, State of Minnesota. He arrived on scene after other deputies and Zumbrota Police officers. Deputy Kotajarvi assisted with patient care of a passenger who was ejected from the vehicle. The passenger was identified as M. M. C., [DOB REDACTED]. M. M. C. Was unresponsive and had severe trauma to his head/face area (head scalped). M. M. C. Had other unknown injuries.
M. M. C. Was transported by Mayo 1 to St. Mary’s Hospital for further treatment of critical injuries. Deputy Kotajarvi spoke with Deputy Thomas Blue of the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office on scene, and Deputy Blue identified the driver as BONNIE MARIE DIMON, [DOB REDACTED]. DIMON was also possibly ejected from the vehicle, and complained of pain in her back and side. Deputy Kotajarvi briefly spoke with DIMON and saw her pupils were dilated and she spoke very fast. DIMON stated she turned onto 410th Street from 165th Avenue going east.
She began to lose control and accelerated. The vehicle went into the north ditch and rolled approximately three times. She woke up on the ground outside of the vehicle. Neither she nor M. M. C. Were wearing their seat belts, and there was no airbag deployment. Based on speaking with DIMON and surveying the scene, Deputy Kotajarvi had a suspicion that DIMON was possibly impaired. He was unable to conduct a full DWI investigation due to DIMON’s injuries. DIMON was transported emergent to St. Mary’s Hospital for further evaluation.
An inventory of the vehicle and attempts to find identification yielded a small clear plastic bag with a white crystal-like substance. The bag was found in a glass jar inside of DIMON’s backpack. Based on his training and experience, Deputy Kotajarvi believed the substance was methamphetamine. Deputy Kotajarvi is a certified Minnesota Drug Recognition Evaluator. Based on the totality of the circumstances, he believed DIMON was impaired and unable to operate a motor vehicle safely. Deputy Kotajarvi drafted a search warrant for DIMON’s blood.
The warrant was reviewed and granted by the Honorable Judge King. Deputy Kotajarvi met with DIMON at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester. He explained to DIMON that he had a search warrant for her blood. DIMON stated she would provide a sample and without provocation, stated she had used methamphetamine earlier in the day. After a brief pause, Deputy Kotajarvi read DIMON the Miranda Warning. She said she understood the warning and waived her right to remain silent. DIMON went on to tell Deputy Kotajarvi that she snorted methamphetamine earlier in the morning before work.
