DULUTH — The trial for a Cloquet man accused of using opioids before he caused a head-on collision that killed a Cromwell woman ended with a hung jury last week in St. Louis County Court.
Tony L. Northrup, 57, was charged with criminal vehicular homicide after the 2020 crash in Brevator Township, near Duluth, that led to the death of Melissa Kalinoski, 42. Blood tests showed a small amount of alcohol and THC, in addition to fentanyl in his blood, according to his lawyer.
Northrup's defense was involuntary intoxication. According to his attorney Michael Ryan, Northrup and his then-girlfriend Cindianne DeFoe testified that the defendant, then a heavy-equipment operator, was not a hard drug user and had never used fentanyl.
"We established that Mr. Northrup's drink had been left unattended during the same time frame when the oral dose of fentanyl must have occurred," Ryan said in an email.
Court documents indicated jurors struggled with questions about substances consumed by the defendant and eventually sent the court a handwritten note asking "Hung jury an option?" They deliberated for 16 hours, according to Ryan.
Judge Jill Eichenwald declared a mistrial. A hearing is schedule for Nov. 13.
According to the criminal complaint, Northrup was driving east on Hwy. 2 on the September 2020 evening when he crossed a centerline and hit Kalinoski's minivan. She died at the scene. Officers at the scene described Northrup as being impaired.
