Woman was on her phone when she critically injured state trooper in Nobles County crash, charges say

A woman who was allegedly on her phone when she severely injured a state trooper in a southwestern Minnesota crash earlier this year has been officially charged.

Theresa Ann Baer, 63, is facing one count of criminal vehicular operation.

RELATED: Nobles County deputy in critical condition following Sunday crash

On April 13, a Minnesota state trooper was helping with a crash reconstruction on Interstate 90 in Nobles County when he requested assistance from Nobles County deputies to close the interstate for scene mapping.

At about 4:33 p.m., the trooper heard that a squad car had been hit and responded to the scene. The trooper saw a Nobles County squad car with heavy rear-end damage and a Chevy Equinox with heavy front-end damage.

The injured deputy, Logan Waldner, was being helped by ambulance staff and later airlifted to Sioux Falls Hospital for life-threatening injuries.

Court records state that Waldner was sitting in his parked car on the side of the road at the time of the crash.

The driver of the Equinox was identified as Baer and told officials that she saw the squad car and said she “kept braking, kept braking,” but didn’t get moved over in time.

Baer told authorities that she saw the squad car, which she thought was conducting a traffic stop. She said that she tried to change lanes to go around it, but she hit the squad car.

She said she wasn’t using alcohol, drugs or her phone at the time of the crash, according to court documents.

A witness told officials that he was driving westbound on Interstate 90 and said there were four cars in front of him, and while the first three took an exit ramp, the fourth ran right into the squad car. The witness said he does not remember seeing brake lights, the criminal complaint says.

At a later date, law enforcement acquired information from a phone provider that Baer had been on her phone at the time of the crash.

Court records show that in an interview, the woman Baer had been on the phone with said that while they were talking, she heard a loud noise and then Baer stopped responding to her.

Analysis of Baer’s Equinox noted that she was going 83 mph right before the crash and only started to slow one second before impact. It was unclear if she was physically holding her phone or on Bluetooth, the complaint adds.

Waldner was diagnosed with a severe traumatic brain injury and suffered multiple strokes as well as hemorrhaging on his brain. Court records state that Waldner is no longer in a coma, but he remains in the hospital.

The post Woman was on her phone when she critically injured state trooper in Nobles County crash, charges say first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.