A 35-year-old man was drunk when he drove off the road in Columbia Heights and hit two people on the sidewalk, killing one of them, according to charges.
Cody J. Jazdzewski, of Minneapolis was charged in Anoka County District Court with criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation in connection with the crash Thursday night near the the intersection of Central and 39th avenues NE.
Carrie Lynn Rivero, 58, of Minneapolis died at the scene. James Junior Beller, 63, also of Minneapolis was taken by emergency responders to HCMC with life-threatening injuries. Beller was last reported to be in serious condition.
Jazdzewski was treated at HCMC for his injuries, then booked into jail, where he remained held late Monday afternoon in lieu of $50,000 bail. A message was left with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations.
According to the patrol and the criminal complaint:
Jazdzewski was driving a BMW convertible south on Central Avenue when he left the roadway and hit Rivero and Beller. The car came to rest at a tree line. The patrol said a road wet from rain might have been another factor in the crash.
A state trooper saw that Jazdzewski had bloodshot and watery eyes and his speech was slurred. Jazdzewski admitted that he had been drinking.
A preliminary breath test at the scene measured his blood alcohol content at 0.131%, more than 1 1⁄2 times the legal limit in Minnesota.
