Rochester Man Faces Felony Charge For Crash Near Apache Mall
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man has been charged with a felony count of criminal vehicular operation in connection with a crash that occurred last week near Apache Mall.
The criminal complaint against 66-year-old Neil Krippner alleges he was under the influence of alcohol when the pickup he was driving crashed into another vehicle when he attempted to take a left turn in front of another vehicle around 2 PM last Wednesday at the Highway 52/14 east interchange. After a State Trooper arrived at the scene, multiple witnesses reported Krippner appeared intoxicated.
The court document says the trooper spoke with Krippner and noted he smelled strongly of alcohol, slurred his speech, and was very unsteady. Kripppner admitted to the trooper that he had consumed alcohol before driving and a preliminary breath test put his blood-alcohol-concentration at .228, which is nearly 3 times the legal limit for driving.
A passenger in the vehicle that was struck by Krippner's pickup suffered a broken leg in the crash and was transported to St. Marys Hospital for treatment. Krippner was taken into custody and transported to the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center where a sample of his blood was drawn. The test results on that sample are pending.
Following his first court appearance on Friday, Krippner was released without bail with conditions set by the court. His next court hearing is scheduled for March 2.