A Crookston woman is accused of drinking alcohol then taking four children and an adult on a ride that reached speeds up to 100 mph and ended in a ditch.
Ana Hernandez, 31, is set to be arraigned today in state District Court in Grafton, N.D., on five counts of reckless endangerment.
A criminal complaint states that Hernandez drove 80 to 100 mph on various roads and highways in the county July 5, almost hitting a mailbox and a parked Ford Ranger. Heading north on Main Street in Ardoch, N.D., Hernandez turned the corner at Sixth Street and lost control of the vehicle, which came to rest in a ditch, according to the complaint.
The complaint says the children -- a 12-year-old boy, a 10-year-old girl, a 9-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy -- were not wearing seatbelts at the start of the ride. All five passengers feared for their lives while Hernandez was driving, the complaint states.
It's not clear if anyone was injured during the incident or how Hernandez was related to her passengers. The sheriff's department referred questions to State's Attorney Barbara Whelan. Messages left with Whelan and Hernandez's attorney, David Dusek, were not returned Tuesday.
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Hernandez is free on a $6,000 bond, according to a Walsh County jail official.
The charge of reckless endangerment is a Class C felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
