Woman Charged in Mendota Heights I-35E Fatal Crash

A Lakeville woman suspected of drunk driving was charged today with criminal vehicular homicide for her role in a  along Interstate 35E in Mendota Heights that killed a St. Paul man.

Julie Ann Fischer, 49, plowed her SUV into the rear-end of a car driven by Tijuan Moore, 50, of St. Paul, at around 1 a.m. on Dec. 17, killing him and injuring his passenger, according to Lt. Eric Roeske with the Minnesota State Patrol.

Moments after the crash, which happened in the right, northbound lane of the interstate, just north of Interstate 494, an uninjured Fischer told responding Minnesota State Troopers she only had "a couple glasses of wine," according to a criminal complaint filed by the Dakota County Attorney's Office.

The complaint also says Fischer seemed confused, disoriented and swayed as she sat in her driver's seat, apparently unaware she had crashed her SUV into a car. She told authorities she "never saw the other vehicle," according to the complaint.

It also said Fischer had "bloodshot, watery eyes, (and) slurred speech," and there was "a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from within the vehicle." Though Fischer told authorities she only had a couple glasses of wine before the crash, a trooper discovered an open bottle of "Mike's Hard Lemonade" inside her car immediately after the crash, the complaint said.

A witness to the crash told the State Patrol they were driving behind Fischer for some time and said she "was swerving all over" before striking Moore's stalled car, which had its flashers on, the complaint said.

Moore was killed in the crash and his passenger, Lisa Newsom, 26, of St. Paul, was treated at Regions Hospital for abdominal pain and released, according to Roeske. It's not clear how long the car was stalled before the crash, he said.

In addition to felony criminal vehicular homicide, which carries up to 10 years in prison, a Fischer was charged with criminal vehicular operation in connection with Newsom's injuries. That charge is a gross misdemeanor, punishable with up to a year in jail.

While Roeske said she's never been convicted for driving under the influence, Fischer does have a hearing in Dakota County District Court next month on an unrelated September arrest in Eagan where she was cited for suspected drunk driving. In that case, test results showed her blood-alcohol content at 0.20 percent, according to a report in the Star Tribune.

Because of that case, Fischer was driving under a restricted license, Roeske said.

Fischer appeared before District Judge Shawn Moynihan in Hastings on Monday. He set bail at $250,000 without conditions or $200,000 with conditions, and rejected her lawyer's request for a lower bail. She's currently being held in Ramsey County jail in St. Paul because Dakota County does not house female inmates.

Roeske advised all drivers who have car trouble or stall on the interstate to get out of the lanes of traffic and to the shoulder. He said Moore's car was in the right traffic lane.

"If for whatever reason you can't get our of the traffic lane, I would not remain in my vehicle. Get out and get away from it," Roeske said.

He also said authorities didn't have a timeline on how long Moore's car was stalled. It could have only been minutes, he said.

Roeske said the State Patrol has increased enforcement for drunk drivers during the holidays.

"Taking drunk drivers off the road always has been and always will be one of our top priorities," he said. Roeske also said the public can and should help by calling 911 to report suspected drunk drivers.

"Is reporting a drunk driver an emergency? This situation demonstrates it is," he said. "Too often we see these type of crashes and a witness will call in later saying they observed a car driving erratically. We want to investigate sooner."

Fischer was given a preliminary blood test and her blood was drawn for alcohol testing, but those results aren't available yet. The roads were dry at the time of the crash, Roeske said.