A sentence of up to six months awaits a southern Minnesota man who has admitted to a felony for running over a man on farmland where the two lived before leaving the scene to go drinking.
Plea deal calls for up to 6 months for driver who fatally ran over friend on S. Minnesota farmland
The driver went to a neighbor's place and drank, didn't notify authorities about what he had done for roughly 24 hours.
August 13, 2019 at 9:00PM
Russel A. Doucette, 39, of Franklin, pleaded guilty in Renville County District Court last week in connection with the death in July 2017 of Randy L. Oletzke, 59.
Doucette's admission came as a jury trial was to have begun Monday. Instead, the plea agreement with prosecutors calls for him to serve a maximum of six months either in jail or the workhouse in exchange for him pleading guilty to a criminal vehicular homicide count that addresses his failure to report the crash to authorities. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 17.
Dismissed were a hit-and-run criminal vehicular homicide count and a second-degree manslaughter charge.
The charges said Doucette told law enforcement that he was in his pickup truck on the property southeast of Franklin, and Oletzke was standing in front of the vehicle in an effort to block him.
Doucette said he was "pretty sure" he ran over Oletzke, the criminal complaint read. He left the farmland at 70 to 75 miles per hour and went to neighbor's home, where he had several mixed drinks. Doucette contacted county authorities roughly 24 hours later and told them what happened, the complaint continued.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
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