Police find 27 open liquor bottles in SUV after deadly Jordan crash: Charges
JORDAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - Police say they found 27 open liquor bottles inside the SUV of the driver accused of causing a deadly wreck in Jordan Sunday night that claimed the life of a Chaska man.
Deadly Jordan crash
What we know:
Police say they responded around 7:41 p.m. to the report of a two-vehicle crash at Old Highway 169 and Aberdeen Avenue in Jordan.
At the scene, witnesses told officers a Miata driven by a 69-year-old Chaska man had entered an intersection when it was struck by a Ford Bronco driven by a 38-year-old Jordan man.
Witnesses said the Bronco never slowed down or braked before running a stop sign and hitting the Miata, and it was traveling at apparent highway speeds at the time of the crash. Police said the Miata did reportedly stop at the intersection before crossing.
Local perspective:
The 69-year-old man was unresponsive when officers arrived and ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. The Miata driver's wife, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was also seriously hurt and taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment.
The driver of the Bronco, 38-year-old Drew Bergman, refused to be taken to the hospital.
27 liquor bottles found
The backstory:
After the crash, Jordan police say they suspected Bergman was intoxicated. Officers said they noticed the smell of alcohol on his breath, he had slow speech, bloodshot eyes, and trouble walking.
He was ultimately arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
When officers checked inside the Bronco, they say they found 27 open, empty or partially empty alcoholic-beverage containers. According to the criminal complaint against Bergman, officers found "numerous 50-milliliter containers of 99- brand distilled spirits and Fireball whiskey." There was also an empty Fireball whiskey container in the rear cargo area, the charges state.
Police took a sample of his blood for testing and are awaiting blood-alcohol content results. Police did not say if a breath test was administered on Bergman.
What's next:
Monday, Bergman was charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide, two counts of criminal vehicular operation, and a violation of the open bottle law.
He is being held in the Scott County Jail.
Police say Bergman has two previous impaired-driving offenses on his record, one from June 2016 in Wisconsin and another from just this past December in North Dakota. The criminal complaint says Bergman pleaded guilty in the North Dakota case.