Sioux Falls woman charged in crash that injured Nobles County deputy

A charge has been filed in the April crash that critically injured Nobles County Deputy Logan Waldner.

Theresa Ann Baer, 63, of Sioux Falls has been charged with criminal vehicular operation-great bodily home-gross negligence. The felony-level charge carries a maximum sentence of up to five years imprisonment, a $10,000 fine or both.

According to the Statement of Probable Cause, a Minnesota State Trooper was assisting April 13 with a crash reconstruction map on Interstate 90 near milepost 29 in Nobles County when he requested assistance from Nobles County deputies to close the interstate for scene mapping. At approximately 4:33 p.m., the trooper heard a squad car was hit and responded to the scene with emergency lights and his siren. Upon arrival at 4:38 p.m., the trooper observed a Nobles County squad car with heavy rear-end damage and a silver SUV with heavy front-end damage, both facing westbound.

The statement says Waldner was seated in his squad car, parked stationary on the side of the interstate, at the time of the crash. The driver of the silver SUV, which was identified as Baer, reported at the scene that she saw the squad car and "kept braking, kept braking" but didn't get moved over in time. 

In an interview later that day at Sanford Luverne Medical Center, Baer said she believed the squad car was conducting a traffic stop and "clipped" the car as she attempted to go around it. She denied using alcohol, drugs or her cell phone at the time of the crash and permitted examination of her phone. Information from Verizon Wireless pursuant to a subpoena indicated that Baer had been on an active phone call at the time of the crash, which was contrary to what she said during her interview.

An analysis of the Airbag Control Module in the Baer vehicle revealed she was traveling at 83 mph immediately before the crash and only began to slow down one second prior to impact. The speed of Baer's vehicle — a Chevy Equinox — was calculated at between 59.5 and 72.8 mph immediately upon impact.

Waldner remains hospitalized as the result of his severe and life-threatening injuries. He was diagnosed with a severe traumatic brain injury and suffered multiple strokes as well as hemorrhaging on his brain. 

Baer had been scheduled to appear in Nobles County District Court on Monday, but that has been cancelled and yet to be rescheduled.