A Northfield man had an alcohol concentration more than three times the legal limit when he caused a four-vehicle crash in November that injured himself and four others, charges now say.
Treyvon Russle Paulson, 23, was charged with four counts of criminal vehicular operation Tuesday in Rice County District Court.
A crash reconstruction determined Paulson was going over 80 mph when he caused a crash the night of Nov. 15 on Highway 19 west of Northfield, the charges allege.
Paulson reportedly was in a westbound car and rear-ended a westbound SUV. The SUV was pushed into the eastbound lane and struck a Jeep. The Jeep rolled into a ditch. Paulson’s car reportedly went into the eastbound lane and collided head-on with another SUV.
Paulson was taken to a Minneapolis hospital with life-threatening injuries but survived. A blood test allegedly showed he had an alcohol concentration of 0.28. An empty alcohol bottle and a marijuana pipe were found in his vehicle.
The drivers of the other three vehicles as well as a passenger were taken to hospitals with significant injuries. A 34-year-old Northfield man had a broken hip, and his passenger, a 67-year-old Northfield woman, had a broken leg and internal bruising.
A 50-year-old California woman had two broken vertebrae, broken collarbone, and bruised lung. A 53-year-old Chanhassen woman had a broken pelvis, broken foot and blood pooling in her abdomen. She needed emergency surgery.
Paulson was issued a summons to make a first court appearance on Sept. 21.
It’s the third time Paulson has been accused of driving with an alcohol concentration more than twice the legal limit. He has a prior DWI conviction and a pending DWI charge.
In 2019 Paulson was found next to a vehicle in a ditch in Greenvale Township and a breathalyzer 0.17. He was sentenced to two years of probation.
In February Paulson was stopped in Northfield for driving without lights after dark. A breathalyzer allegedly showed he had an alcohol concentration of 0.26.
Paulson also is on probation for possession of a short-barreled shotgun.
Data included is taken from the Minnesota Department of Health Daily reports. Because all data is preliminary, the change in number of cumulative positive cases and deaths from one day to the next may not equal the newly reported cases or deaths.
