No criminal charges in Mississippi River crash

Published 9:36 am Tuesday, April 15, 2014

WINONA — Winona County law enforcement officials say no criminal charges will be filed as a result of a Mississippi River crash that killed four people.

Three men and a female driver died in January when their SUV crashed through a guardrail in Winona and plunged through the ice.

At a news conference Monday, Winona County Attorney Karin Sonneman said a joint investigation with the sheriff’s office found both speed and alcohol were factors in the crash. Toxicology tests determined the driver, Christina Hauser, had a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal limit.

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Sheriff Dave Brand said the evidence shows the crash happened sometime after 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 5, as the four were returning from Wisconsin. They had also been seen in a Winona bar earlier.