A Minnesota woman is facing charges following a tragic head-on collision that resulted in the death of an 82-year-old woman. The accused, Shauna Rae Dokken, claimed her dog grabbed the steering wheel just before the accident, as revealed in court documents.
On Monday, in Roseau County District Court, the 43-year-old Dokken was formally charged with criminal vehicular homicide, accused of driving in a grossly negligent manner.
The charges relate to a collision that occurred on June 27 on Minnesota Highway 11, leading to the death of Barbara Lee Welberg, aged 82.
The criminal complaint details that several drivers reported witnessing Dokken’s erratic driving prior to the incident.
One observer, who called 911, recounted following Dokken’s vehicle after seeing it veer entirely into the oncoming lane.
Authorities claim that Dokken’s Ford F-250 crossed the center line and struck Welberg’s Kia Sorento head-on. Welberg unfortunately succumbed to her injuries at the crash site.
Dokken was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Investigators said Dokken gave varying accounts of what led to the crash.
According to the complaint, she told investigators at one point that her dog interfered with the vehicle and grabbed the steering wheel before the collision.
Troopers responding to the crash also noted that Dokken appeared to have slurred speech, according to court records.
The complaint states that Dokken told investigators she had taken prescription medications that day, including Buspar, lorazepam and Adderall.
She denied consuming alcohol, and a preliminary breath test registered 0.00, according to the complaint.
Authorities later obtained a search warrant for a blood sample, which was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis.
The investigation remains ongoing pending laboratory testing, according to the Roseau County Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said additional charges could be filed depending on the results of the analysis.
Court records also cite statements from Dokken’s significant other, who told investigators she had previously misused prescription medications.
The allegations outlined in the complaint have not been proven in court.
Dokken remained in custody Monday after a detention order was signed by Roseau County District Judge Tamara Yon.
A representative for the Roseau County Attorney’s Office told Fox News Digital all criminal defendants are accompanied by a public defender at their initial court appearance, but it was not immediately clear whether Dokken would continue to be represented by a public defender or retain private counsel.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Minnesota State Patrol for additional information. The Roseau County Attorney’s Office confirmed the investigation remains ongoing pending testing and said additional charges could result depending on the findings.
