A Stearns County judge last week sentenced a 54-year-old Coon Rapids man to six years in prison for crossing the centerline of a highway while intoxicated and crashing into another vehicle last year, it was reported in area newspapers.

The collision killed a 41-year-old mother and injured her 3-year-old daughter.  The two were driving to day care on Highway 55 at the time of the crash. 

According to a criminal complaint filed against Chad J. Seitz, a State Patrol trooper was dispatched to two-vehicle crash on Hwy. 55 west of Belgrade just before 7 a.m. on Jan. 22, 2024, and found a GMC SUV in the south ditch and a Honda subcompact car in the north ditch.

The driver of the Honda, Cassie E. Mithaugen of Belgrade, was pronounced dead at the scene. A medical examination later indicated her cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. Her daughter was hospitalized for a cut and some bruising. 

At the scene, Seitz identified himself as a 39-year-old man with the initials K.R.K. and later told the trooper he provided a false name because he had a warrant out of Stearns County for violating the conditions of release on an ongoing case involving methamphetamine possession, the complaint states. 

The trooper observed Seitz showing signs of impairment so the officer conducted a field sobriety test and obtained a search warrant for a blood test, which confirmed the presence of THC, methamphetamine and amphetamine. 

He has previous convictions for theft, drug possession and driving after revocation.

Seitz pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal vehicular homicide and one gross misdemeanor count of criminal vehicular operation in December. On Thursday March 13, Judge Heidi Schultz sentenced Seitz to 73 months in prison.