A suspected drunken driver traveling an estimated 90 miles per hour rear-ended the car of state Rep. Jean Wagenius early Friday as she drove home from a late-night floor session, according to House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher.
Kelliher said Wagenius, DFL-Minneapolis, was left "bruised" and a little shaken but with no apparent serious injuries from the accident, which totaled her Volvo.
Wagenius was traveling west on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis and attempting to merge south onto I-35W, Kelliher said, when the other car slammed into hers. Wagenius' husband took her to a nearby hospital, where she was treated and released.
The driver of the other vehicle was Apoorva Sunil Shah, 21, of Eden Prairie. State Patrol spokesman Lt. Matt Langer confirmed that he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. Authorities said that Shah was driving a 2007 Toyota Scion and that alcohol was detected. Both were wearing seat belts. A check of Shah's driving record showed that he has been ticketed twice for speeding, in July and November of 2007.
Late-night sessions are a common feature as lawmakers head toward the conclusion of the legislative session, and many more lie ahead before scheduled adjournment on May 18. Kelliher said that's "always a worry" for her. Members are permitted to stay at taxpayer expense at a nearby hotel if sessions run late.
Other details were not immediately available.
Wagenius' husband, Dwight, said that his wife was sleeping at home Friday and that she was still in some pain from bruises and whiplash.
Doctors have told Wagenius to take it a day at a time, but she could be back at the Capitol relatively soon, her husband said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Patricia Lopez • 651-222-1288
