(KNOX/Valley News Live) –A 25-year-old Fergus Falls man has been charged in connection with a fatal head-on crash on Highway 59 that killed a Pelican Rapids woman. The crash happened in Erhard and a witness described seeing his vehicle weaving before the crash, and he reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol and using THC.
Jacob Thatcher was charged in Otter Tail County District Court with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and he is currently in custody. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, as well as a possible $20,000 fine.
51-year-old Basro Abokar of Pelican Rapids was killed last Sunday, while Thatcher was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Thatcher apparently told investigators he was going at least 75 mph in a 60-mph zone. He says he also had unbalanced tires and bad brake calipers on his vehicle. He said he was returning from a delivery run and had consumed a shot of alcohol earlier that day, along with using a THC vape the night before and smoking THC concentrate prior to that. Thatcher told investigators he was also on medications and considered himself a “lightweight” with alcohol.
Thatcher also says that he was aware his vehicle would develop a severe vibration when it reached 70 mph. He called the vehicle a “death wobble,” and that he had taken the vehicle to a shop but could not afford to fix all of its issues. He told investigators he grew impatient with a slower vehicle ahead of him and attempted to pass before the crash occurred.
A search warrant was obtained for a sample of Thatcher’s blood, which has been sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for testing; results are pending.
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!
