DULUTH — A Cloquet man who had fentanyl in his system when he caused a head-on collision that killed a Cromwell woman in 2020 has pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide weeks after his trial ended in a hung jury.

Under a plea deal, Tony L. Northrup, 57, will likely serve no more than a year at the Northeast Regional Corrections Center, rather than the presumptive sentence of 72 months he might have faced.

Northrup was driving east on Hwy. 2 near Duluth on Sept. 24, 2020, when he crossed a centerline and hit a minivan driven by Melissa Kalinoski, 42, who died at the scene. Officers at the time described Northrup as impaired. Blood tests showed a small amount of alcohol and THC, in addition to fentanyl, in his blood.

Northrup never denied having fentanyl in his system — but he claimed he didn't know how it got there. His defense was involuntary intoxication.

Members of a jury were unable to agree on a verdict after deliberating for 16 hours in St. Louis County court in October. Judge Jill Eichenwald declared a mistrial.

Northrup's sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2024.

"Mr. Northrup's story hasn't changed and it won't change because it's true," his attorney Michael Ryan said in an email. "He feels happy and incredibly relieved to bring this case to a close, both for himself and the family of Melissa Kalinoski."