Settlement reached in fatal drunk driving crash near Austin

Published 8:00 am Sunday, March 2, 2014

The Elkton man convicted of criminal vehicular homicide in a 2012 drunk driving accident near Austin has informally settled with the second of two families who sued him.

Attorney John Beckmann confirmed settlement negotiations between his client, Megan Moe, and attorneys for driver Jason Fredrickson were completed Thursday, though the Mower County District Court will formally accept the settlement at a hearing next month. Beckmann declined to comment on the settlement, citing confidentiality agreements.

Moe has also settled with Lyle Liquor in a related civil suit.

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Moe’s husband, Jacob Moe, and Luke Unverzagt, died Feb. 25, 2012, when they were ejected as a passenger from a 2009 Cadillac STS after it struck a tree. An attorney representing Fredrickson was not immediately available for comment Friday morning.

Sarah Unverzagt, Luke’s wife, reached a $100,000 settlement agreement with Fredrickson in December.

Authorities who reconstructed the crash scene said Fredrickson, now 44, was the driver, and was traveling at more than 120 mph before going into the ditch, snapping a utility pole and then hitting the tree. Because of a lengthy investigation, prosecuting attorneys weren’t able to level criminal charges against Fredrickson until March 2013. Sarah’s attorney filed a wrongful death suit in Mower County Court in December 2012, seeking at least $50,000 for damages, attorney’s fees and emotional distress.

Fredrickson was convicted last month on four of six charges of criminal vehicular homicide.

According to the criminal complaint filed against Fredrickson last March, the Moes, Unverzagts, Fredrickson, and his wife went to the Lyle Liquor Store and while there had alcoholic beverages for several hours before returning to the Unverzagt home after midnight. The complaint alleges Fredrickson later drove toward Austin with Unverzagt and Moe after they had more drinks. The crash happened at about 1:50 a.m. at 2810 Fourth St. SE.

Fredrickson is scheduled to be sentenced next month. A hearing in the civil suit will take place March 24.