A Minnesota woman has claimed her dog caused a fatal crash by grabbing the steering wheel, leading to the death of an 82-year-old woman. Shauna Rae Dokken, 43, has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide after the collision on May 29.
The incident occurred around 4pm local time when Dokken's Ford pick-up crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a Kia Sorento driven by Barbara Lee Welberg. The impact flipped Ms Welberg's car, killing her at the scene. Dokken was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to court documents, Dokken gave conflicting accounts of the crash, including one where she claimed her dog distracted her and then twisted the steering wheel, causing her to lose control. Police received multiple reports of Dokken driving erratically before the crash, with one witness alleging she intentionally tried to hit his vehicle.
Officers noted Dokken had slurred speech and admitted taking prescription drugs including Buspar, Lorazepam and Adderall. She is being held on $200,000 bail and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. A court appearance is scheduled for June 10.
