A Brooklyn Center man faces four felony charges for a rollover accident that seriously injured a Detroit Lakes woman on Thursday.
Bret Allen Rounsville, 40, of 5316 Russel Ave. N, Brooklyn Center, has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony first-degree DWI and three felony counts of criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm.
According to court records and a news release from the sheriff's department:
Shanty Washburn, 37, of Detroit Lakes was thrown from the 1984 GMC flatbed pickup truck that Rounsville was driving and had to have emergency surgery to repair her liver at St. Mary's Innovis Hospital in Detroit Lakes before being transported by helicopter to a Fargo hospital for additional surgery.
She was listed in critical but stable condition Friday morning.
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The crash occurred late Thursday afternoon, when Rounsville, who was "traveling at a very high rate of speed," according to witnesses, was unable to make a sharp curve at 137th Street and Frazee Road.
The pickup truck left the roadway, rolled at least once, and came to rest right side up in a grove of pine trees.
One of the tires was on top of Washburn, and Rounsville, when he saw that, was able to get back in the truck and reverse it to free her.
Officers who spoke to Rounsville at the scene observed that he smelled strong of alcohol. He allegedly admitted to drinking earlier. He was taken to the hospital, where his blood was drawn for testing.
He submitted to a portable breath test, which showed his blood alcohol level at .17 percent. He allegedly admitted he had been driving too fast and lost control of the truck.
He was convicted of criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm in 2004 in Sherburne County. He was convicted of DWI in 2006 and his license was canceled as inimical to public safety in 2001.
He appeared Friday before District Judge Joe Evans, who set bail or bond at $100,000, without conditions, or $20,000 with standard conditions of release.
Rounsville's next court appearance is Monday.
