Crime & Safety

St. Paddy's Day Reveler Stopped By Citizens After Car Crash, Police Say

Alexander C.E. Blanchard, 27, allegedly blazed a 14-mile trail of destruction from Bloomington to Burnsville to Apple Valley, hitting at least two other cars along the way.

Police say a St. Paul man is responsible for a series of car accidents that occurred on Saturday.

Alexander C.E. Blanchard, 27, has been charged with criminal vehicular operation, a gross misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $3,000 fine. He also faces two counts of DUI.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Blanchard's drunken sojourn began around 7:48 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, when a call came in about a hit and run in the city of Bloomington. The reporting party said he was rear ended by a vehicle which sped away before he could call police. Not long after, another call came in from Apple Valley, reporting a similar accident in the area of Cedar Avenue and 140th Street.

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When the Apple Valley Police arrived at the scene they found several vehicles on the side of the road. One had sustained heavy damage to its back end. Another car had crashed into a snow bank off the side of the road.

Officers spoke to a group of people who had congregated there, who said they had followed Blanchard's car from Bloomington. The witnesses reported that the vehicle had been "all over the road" and had struck other vehicles while on Cedar. After the accident in Apple Valley, they had managed to confiscate his keys.

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Police then attempted to speak with Blanchard. When asked to step out onto the shoulder, Blanchard fell into a snow bank and slid into the road. As officers helped him up, they noticed a distinct odor of alcohol. Blanchard's eyes were bloodshot and his speech was slurred.

He told officers that he'd had only two drinks. A preliminary breath test revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .287, almost four times the legal limit.

Blanchard made his first court appearance on Tuesday. His next hearing is scheduled for May 2.  


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