Charges: Man driving twice over the legal limit caused crash that killed pregnant woman’s baby

A man accused of driving twice over the legal limit has been charged with allegedly causing a crash in St. Cloud that killed a pregnant woman’s baby and left the woman in critical condition.

Christopher James Otte, 32, is facing two counts of criminal vehicular operation while under the influence of alcohol — one for the death of an unborn child and one for great bodily harm.

RELATED: Woman seriously injured in car crash, fire in St. Cloud; 1 person arrested

On Friday at around 12:56 p.m., St. Cloud police responded to a two-vehicle crash near 33rd Avenue North and Fifth Street North.

Court documents say authorities found a Toyota Sienna, driven by a 34-year-old pregnant woman, and a GMC Yukon, driven by Otte, that appeared to have been in a head-on collision.

The woman was found stuck between the driver’s seat and the dashboard of the vehicle, and as police tried helping her, the front of the vehicle caught on fire, the criminal complaint notes.

The woman was removed from the vehicle and brought to the hospital, where she is currently in critical condition. St. Cloud police said that the unborn baby was later pronounced dead.

Law enforcement spoke with multiple witnesses who stated that the Yukon was driving “very fast” before the collision. Court records state that surveillance video also showed the Yukon running a stop sign at the intersection of 25th Avenue North.

Officials determined that the car was speeding and veering into the other lane of traffic, causing the crash, according to court documents.

Police noticed that Otte appeared unsteady and had slurred speech following the crash, and a preliminary breath test showed a .201 alcohol concentration. Otte told authorities that he only had two drinks at a sports bar that morning.

When recounting the crash, he admitted that he “hit her straight on” and twice said, “It was my fault.”

According to court records, Otte was previously convicted of a gross misdemeanor DWI in 2019. His next court hearing is scheduled for March 16.

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