Drunken driver given probation for South St. Paul crash that killed her ex, injured 2 others

Nick Ferraro, Pioneer Press
·2 min read

A woman was sentenced Tuesday to five years of probation for driving drunk and crashing into a pickup in South St. Paul, killing her ex-husband and injuring two others.

Bobbie Jo Puttbrese, 53, of North St. Paul pleaded guilty in October to criminal vehicular homicide and two counts of criminal vehicular operation in the June 5 crash on Concord Street that killed Paul Edward Craven, a 60-year-old from St. Paul who was her passenger. He and Puttbrese had previously been married.

Puttbrese entered a “straight plea,” meaning there was no agreement between the defense and the prosecution on the terms of her sentence. She faced a presumptive prison term of four years.

Dakota County District Judge Stacey Sorensen Green stayed a nearly five-year prison term for five years, during which Puttbrese must not consume alcohol or illicit drugs and must submit to random testing and follow chemical dependency treatment and mental health directives.

The judge gave several reasons for the departure from state guidelines, including that Puttbrese has gone through chemical dependency and mental health treatment, and has shown remorse.

Dakota County Attorney Attorney Kathy Keena said in a statement she was disappointed with the judge’s decision, “given (Puttbrese’s) actions in this case. My condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Mr. Craven.”

Joshua Dingel, Puttbrese’s public defender, said in a court filing last month that she has been sober for more than seven months and “recognizes the tragedy of this incident and feels great remorse.”

“I feel bad that I ever got behind the wheel to drink and drive,” Puttbrese said, according to the court filing. “I loved him and I’m sorry that I hit somebody and hurt someone. … I wish I never did it. I’m never going to drink again. I can’t even think about it.”

Her criminal history includes misdemeanor convictions for driving under the influence in 1993 and 2000.

South St. Paul police responded about 3:20 p.m. to the intersection of Concord and Chestnut streets, where they found Puttbrese’s Dodge minivan and a Chevrolet pickup facing each other with heavy front-end damage and deployed airbags, according to the criminal complaint.

Officers determined Puttbrese, who was sitting on a nearby sidewalk, had been driving the minivan and administered a breath test that revealed she had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.201 — more than twice the legal limit to drive, the complaint says.

She told the officers she “had been drinking at several different bars” that day and admitted she was drunk, the complaint says.

South Metro Fire Department medics took the pickup driver and both of Puttbrese’s passengers to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where Craven was pronounced dead. The driver of the pickup suffered bruises and abrasions to his limbs and cuts on his face, while the other minivan passenger suffered multiple spinal fractures, a rib fracture and a fractured sternum.

Related Articles