A 43-year-old woman named Shauna Rae Dokken from Minnesota is facing charges of criminal vehicular homicide after a fatal crash that resulted in the death of an 82-year-old woman named Barbara Lee Welberg. The incident occurred on May 29 when Dokken allegedly drove her Ford pick-up truck into oncoming traffic, colliding with a Kia Sorento.
During the accident, Welberg’s vehicle overturned, leading to her immediate death at the scene, while Dokken sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital. Dokken has provided conflicting explanations of the events surrounding the crash, with one account suggesting that her dog distracted her while driving and even grabbed the steering wheel, causing her to lose control of the vehicle.
Witnesses reported Dokken driving recklessly prior to the accident, with one individual even attempting to follow her to obtain her license plate after observing her swerve into opposing traffic. Another witness claimed that Dokken appeared to be deliberately targeting his vehicle, forcing him to veer off the road to avoid a collision.
Police noted that Dokken exhibited slurred speech and confessed to taking various prescription drugs, including Buspar, Lorazepam, and Adderall. She is currently in custody with a bail set at $200,000 and is awaiting further legal proceedings. If convicted, Dokken could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. The investigation into the case is ongoing, and Dokken is scheduled to appear in court on June 10 for a probation violation hearing.