Mother Charged After 18-Month Child Dies in Maplewood Rollover Crash

Sep 22

A Saint Paul woman has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide after authorities say she caused a Maplewood crash that killed her 18-month-old child while driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to a criminal complaint, troopers and medics were called to a rollover crash around 6:25 p.m. on Sept. 20 on the ramp to southbound Highway 61 from eastbound Highway 36.

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Responders found a black Chevrolet Tahoe upside down and partially submerged about 30 feet off the roadway. Maplewood firefighters used hydraulic tools to lift the SUV and remove the child who had been trapped beneath the vehicle. Medics pronounced the child dead at 6:35 p.m.

PREVIOUSLY: Baby Dies After SUV Rolls Off Ramp in Maplewood, Alcohol Cited as a Factor

Troopers spoke with the driver, 28-year-old Rachale Francine Peloquin, who was hysterical and had visible injuries. Peloquin admitted she was behind the wheel when the Tahoe spun out. She told troopers, “I lost control,” later adding that she had consumed “a couple of shots last night” and smoked marijuana earlier in the day. Troopers noted a strong odor of alcohol on her breath.

At the scene, Peloquin repeatedly yelled for responders to save her baby. She told a trooper she had left the house because she was overwhelmed, saying she was a single mother and “I don’t get a f***ing break. I don’t get a break, so I asked my baby daddy’s mom, and she said, ‘Yeah, drop them off.’”

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Two of Peloquin’s sons, ages 5 and 4, confirmed to troopers that their mother was driving at the time. One of the children said all of the kids were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. Both boys were not injured. A man told officers he was in the front passenger seat and was not driving.

A witness reported seeing the Tahoe spin out, roll over multiple times and land upside down. Peloquin provided a preliminary breath sample registering an alcohol concentration of 0.172, more than twice the legal limit. Troopers also recovered three empty bottles of Fireball whiskey shooters along the vehicle’s path. A blood sample was later taken at a hospital under a search warrant. Those results are still pending.

Investigators say Peloquin initially told troopers she lost control because of rain and bald tires, but later claimed the man had been driving and that she only accepted responsibility because the Tahoe belonged to her.

Peloquin is charged with one felony count of criminal vehicular homicide. The offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. She is being held in custody on $250,000 bail. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.

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