By Laura Gossman
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
OSTRANDER— An Ostrander man faces four counts of criminal vehicular homicide stemming from a car accident in May that killed a 20-year-old passenger and injured three others.
According to the complaint, the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to a car accident on Fillmore County Road 3 in Ostrander at about 2 a.m. May 21. Police believe the driver of the car, Braden Dylan Knutson, 22, was "street jumping" because accident investigators believe he was traveling at 80 miles per hour when he hit a bump, lost control of the car, hit a mailbox and then a tree.
At the accident scene, Knutson told police that he had consumed eight or nine beers earlier in the night. When tested, he had a blood alcohol concentration greater than 0.16, which is twice the legal limit to drive.
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Knutson, as well as his passengers, Zachary Steichen, 19, of Spring Valley, John O’Connell, 22, of Spring Valley, Chelsea Kvam, 19, of Spring Valley and Tyler Bunne of LeRoy were taken to hospitals.
Bunne, a 2006 graduate of LeRoy-Ostrander High School died of his injuries.
At the time of the accident, Bunne was attending Minnesota State University in Mankato, where he was on the Dean’s List.
Knutson also faces four counts of criminal vehicular operation with the possibility of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine for each count. With the criminal vehicular homicide charges, there’s the possibility of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.
Knutson has a history of alcohol violations, including underage drinking and driving in 2004.
