Minnesota driver admits being high when she caused crash that killed her son, 4, injured other kids

A woman has admitted being high when she caused a highway two-vehicle crash that killed her 4-year-old son and injured four other youngsters.

Ashlee Rose Klapperick, 36, of Mora, Minn., pleaded guilty in Chisago County District Court last week to one count of criminal vehicular homicide and two counts of criminal vehicular operation in connection with her car’s head-on collision with a minivan on March 14 northwest of Rush City, Minn.

The plea agreement between the prosecution and the defense calls for her to receive a four-year term. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 27.

With credit for time in custody since her arrest, Klapperick is expected to serve about 2¼ years in prison and the balance on supervised release. In the meantime, she remains incarcerated without bail.

Anthony J. Sobaski suffered a severe brain injury and died about a week after the crash. Another of Klapperick’s children in her car, a 3-year-old, was hurt, as were three children in the minivan, ages 9, 4 and 3.

Minnesota court records show that Klapperick has been convicted twice for driving after her license was suspended or revoked and once for not having vehicle insurance. She had a valid license at the time of the collision, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

Klapperick also was convicted in March in Anoka County District Court for driving the same car with tires so worn that she lost control on Hwy. 65 in Blaine and nearly hit other vehicles on Feb. 6. Tuesday’s charges did not mention whether Klapperick had gotten new tires since that offense.

First responders arrived at the scene on Rush Lake Trail and found Klapperick’s 4-year-old unconscious and not breathing. They gave Anthony more than 10 minutes of chest compressions before he was taken by air ambulance to Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul.

A motorist behind the minivan told deputies that Klapperick’s northbound car crossed the center line, and the minivan’s driver attempted to avoid being hit, but the two vehicles collided head-on.

Klapperick told deputies she was doing “squeezy blinks” — longer blinks than normal — and “when she opened her eyes, the van was right there,” the charges read.

She admitted using methamphetamine a couple of days before and marijuana the day before the crash.

Based on observing Klapperick at the scene, a deputy concluded that her use of meth “would have been more likely within the last 24 hours,” the complaint noted, “and that she was impaired and coming off a high from methamphetamine.”