A mixture of prescription drugs, marijuana and alcohol is suspected of impairing a motorist who fatally struck a teenager on a bicycle on a Blaine residential street, according to charges filed Monday.
Charges: Pot, medication, alcohol mix suspected in crash that killed teen on bike in Blaine
A mixture of alcohol, pot and prescription drugs are suspected.
March 24, 2020 at 10:07PM
Daniel A. Rodman, of Ramsey, was charged in Anoka County District Court with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the death of Blaine High School 10th-grader Tony Janisch early Friday evening as he rode with one of his brothers and a friend on NE. 129th Avenue near Lincoln Street. Janisch died at the scene.
Rodman remains jailed in lieu of $150,000 bail and has a court date scheduled for April 20. A message was left with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations.
According to the criminal complaint:
Witnesses said the teens were on bikes and skateboards heading east on 129th when Rodman's westbound car struck Janisch head-on.
The three were sufficiently off to the side to avoid impeding traffic, the witnesses said, leaving Rodman "a full opportunity to see them and avoid a collision," the charges read.
Rodman stopped and told police that he had finished work and had a beer at a friend's home nearby before he resumed driving.
He also told police that he was taking a number of prescription medications. Three officers detected an odor of marijuana coming from Rodman, but he denied having used any in the time leading up to the crash.
In addition, a preliminary breath test measured his blood alcohol content at 0.011%, a negligible amount.
A drug recognition expert called in to examine Rodman found him to be impaired based on his poor balance, tremors in his eyelids, high blood pressure, rapid pulse and large pupils.
The expert concluded that Rodman "was unable to safely operate a motor vehicle due to being under the influence of marijuana and/or drugs and alcohol," the complaint read.
Rodman's criminal history in Minnesota includes numerous convictions for driving without a valid license, according to court records. That includes three times after his license was either suspended or revoked, and three more times after it expired.
His license was valid at the time of the crash, a state Department of Public Safety official said Monday.
Rodman has also been convicted twice for driving under the influence of alcohol and for weapons violations, auto theft, domestic assault, having open alcohol in a vehicle and witness tampering.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the driver's preliminary blood alcohol content. It was measured at 0.011%.
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