Wrong-Way Driver Charged in Deadly Highway 52 Crash in Goodhue County

Aug 16

*Photo via* ***MnDOT Traffic Management Camera***

A California woman has been charged in Goodhue County after prosecutors say she drove the wrong way for more than a dozen miles on Highway 52 last fall, causing a crash that killed one person and seriously injured another.

36-year-old Simona Montiel Vera is facing 11 felony counts including criminal vehicular homicide, criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm and fleeing a peace officer.

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Deputies first received reports just after 1 a.m. on September 14, 2024 of a northbound pickup speeding in the southbound lanes of Highway 52. A Goodhue County Deputy responded and soon saw the vehicle going at least 100 mph against traffic. With lights and siren activated, he attempted to catch up. Three minutes later, he came upon a crash at mile marker 91 in Pine Island Township involving Vera’s orange Toyota Tacoma and two other vehicles.

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One victim was found in critical condition inside a Jeep and later died from her injuries. Another driver was pulled from her overturned vehicle, which was on fire. She was taken to Mayo Clinic with a fractured arm, broken clavicle, spinal fracture, internal injuries and lung trauma. She later told investigators she had been heading back to Rochester at about 65 mph when the wrong-way truck struck her head-on.

Investigators say Vera drove the wrong way for at least 13 miles, passing 17 separate opportunities to cross over or exit. Data recovered from her vehicle showed she was traveling as fast as 110 mph and still going more than 100 mph at impact. A blood test taken within hours of the crash measured her alcohol concentration at 0.158, nearly twice the legal limit.

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Troopers noted that Vera initially passed multiple safe turnarounds where she could have corrected her course but did not. Crash reconstruction specialists later concluded that her speed and alcohol impairment directly caused the collision.

Prosecutors filed four counts of criminal vehicular homicide, four counts of criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm and three counts of fleeing a peace officer. One of the fleeing counts carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison if convicted.

Vera was charged by a nationwide warrant and an initial court appearance has not been scheduled.

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