by April Scheinoha
Reporter
A Karlstad man was sentenced Tuesday, Dec. 29 in Marshall County District Court for his role in a June 27 head-on crash that killed a Thief River Falls man.
Cory Clyde Ingeman, 26, was sentenced for a felony charge of criminal vehicular homicide – operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner, according to online court documents. Ingeman was sentenced to 41 months in prison. He was given credit for four days served. Ingeman was ordered to provide a DNA sample. He was ordered to not use or possess firearms or dangerous weapons. Ingeman was also ordered to pay $135 in fees and fines.
In a plea agreement, the following charges were dismissed: felony criminal vehicular homicide – alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more within two hours of driving; felony criminal vehicular operation – causing great bodily harm – alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more within two hours of driving; and gross misdemeanor third degree driving while impaired.
The charges stemmed from a Saturday, June 27 accident along Highway 1, about 10 miles east of Warren, at about 12:36 p.m. Timothy Frank Bruggeman, 49, was extricated from one of the vehicles. He later died at North Valley Health Center in Warren. Rachel May Houle, 31, Warren, suffered a non-life threatening injury. Ingeman reported no injuries.
According to the complaint and the Minnesota State Patrol report, Ingeman’s eastbound 1993 Chevy pickup truck collided head-on with Houle’s westbound 2000 Pontiac Montana. Bruggeman was a passenger in Houle’s van. All parties were wearing their seat belts.
After the accident, Ingeman told a State Patrol lieutenant that he didn’t remember the accident. However, he then told the lieutenant which way each driver was traveling. Ingeman said he may have fallen asleep, but he also said that he had three or four drinks at Northern Lights Bar in Stephen. The lieutenant could smell an odor of alcohol coming from Ingeman, who also had bloodshot eyes. Ingeman later failed three of four field sobriety tests. A preliminary breath test had a result of 0.241. A blood test was also taken. The results weren’t available at the time that the complaint had been written.
According to the complaint, Houle said Ingeman drove all the way into her lane, then drove partially back into his lane and then again drove all the way into her lane. She said she slowed down and swerved to the left, trying to avoid the collision. However, the vehicles collided. Based on evidence and statements from both Houle and Ingeman, the complaint indicated that the accident appeared to happen the way Houle described.