Woman Charged in Saint Paul Crash That Killed Passenger
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A woman is charged with criminal vehicular homicide after prosecutors say her driving led to a deadly crash and vehicle fire in Saint Paul that trapped and killed her front-seat passenger.
Ralohn Lorrane Hare, 35, is charged in Ramsey County with two felony counts of criminal vehicular homicide stemming from the Nov. 2 crash near Arlington Avenue East and Prosperity Avenue.
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One count alleges she operated a vehicle negligently while under the influence of alcohol. The second alleges she operated the vehicle in a grossly negligent manner. Each charge carries a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, officers were sent to the intersection around 3:28 a.m. after reports of a single-vehicle crash with a vehicle on fire and a woman trapped inside. Investigators say Hare failed to stop while driving a Dodge Grand Caravan southbound before she left the roadway, jumped a curb and crashed into trees, causing heavy front-end damage. The vehicle’s parts were scattered across the roadway and grass as a fire spread from the engine compartment into the cabin.
Police found Hare outside the vehicle standing on the driver’s side. She told officers she had been distracted while driving and said she was reaching into a bag of food while talking with the passenger. Paramedics took Hare to Regions Hospital with complaints of chest and leg pain.
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The passenger was unconscious and trapped in the front seat as the fire intensified. Officers attempted to suppress the flames and open the doors but were unable to reach her due to the extensive damage and heat. Firefighters later extinguished the fire and pronounced the passenger dead at the crash scene.
Investigators later learned a third person had been in the vehicle at the time of the crash. That man initially gave police a false name and denied involvement. He later told investigators that Hare had been speeding and drinking alcohol while driving earlier in the night, including consuming alcohol from a bottle while behind the wheel. Another witness reported seeing Hare drinking earlier in the evening before the crash.
A search warrant was obtained for a blood sample. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported a measured blood alcohol concentration of 0.025 at the time of the draw. Using retrograde extrapolation, the BCA estimated Hare’s blood alcohol concentration earlier in the morning to have been between 0.063 and 0.120.
An autopsy determined the victim died from multiple traumatic injuries caused by the crash, including fractured ribs, internal bleeding and injuries to the heart and liver.
Hare is not in custody and has been summoned to appear in court for an initial court appearance in January.
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