Sheriff David Hutchinson ‘lucky to be alive’ after alcohol-related crash

Sheriff David Hutchinson is "lucky to be alive" and recovering with numerous injuries after crashing his SUV in western Minnesota likely while intoxicated, his attorney said Thursday.

The rollover wreck occurred about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday about 5 miles east of Alexandria on Interstate 94, the State Patrol said.

Hutchinson said in a statement the next day that he was returning from the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association winter conference at the Arrowwood Resort and made the "inexcusable decision to drive after drinking alcohol."

The sheriff's attorney, Fred Bruno, told the Star Tribune that Hutchinson is doing "not too bad, not too good" physically and will remain in AlomereHospital in Alexandria "for a couple more days" as he's treated for three broken ribs, and head and hip injuries.

"The State Patrol said he is lucky to be alive," Bruno said. Hutchinson was wearing his seat belt at the time, the patrol said.

Hutchinson's urine was collected by authorities for testing his degree of intoxication. Bruno, who spent several hours with Hutchinson in the hospital Wednesday, said he expects the results to show that he was legally too intoxicated to drive.

The Douglas County Attorney's Office will likely use the results to weigh charges against the 41-year-old Hutchinson.

County Attorney Chad Larson said Thursday that "I anticipate that a criminal charging decision will be made based upon those results early next week."

Bruno declined to say where Hutchinson was drinking in the hours leading up to the crash, citing the ongoing patrol investigation.

Between a possible concussion suffered by Hutchinson from the crash and his having been drinking, "he was acting very strange at the scene," Bruno said.

In his statement, Hutchinson said, "I will immediately address my personal issues surrounding alcohol and seek the help I need to continue to serve the people of Hennepin County."

Bruno declined to reveal specifics, but he said "those steps are in place" concerning his difficulties with alcohol.

Citing the increasing challenges for members of law enforcement in the Twin Cities and elsewhere around the country, Bruno said, "They are under a lot of unprecedented stress. It's not an excuse but an explanation."

Hennepin County Sheriff's Office spokesman Andy Skoogman said that Hutchinson, as an elected official, is not subject to any disciplinary action by the county in the same manner as a deputy might be for certain actions.

The State Patrol puts many serious crashes on its publicly accessible critical incident web page, routinely within a few hours of the incident. Disclosure of Hutchinson's rollover on that web page, however, took much longer.

The sheriff's crash was documented on the web page after 11 ½ hours had passed and after news releases from the state Department of Public Safety and Hutchinson were sent out in quick succession 10-plus hours after the wreck.

A responding trooper knew it was the Hennepin County sheriff who was the driver "within an hour of the crash," said Bruce Gordon, chief spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety,

There were four other injury crashes listed on the site, including names of the people in the vehicles, that occurred after Hutchinson's on Wednesday. All four were posted 2 ½ hours or sooner after the incidents.

Gordon said, "It is not unusual to post a crash on the media web hours after the incident as more information becomes available."

There has been no indication, either from Gordon or any other law enforcement representative, that Hutchinson was administered a preliminary breath test at the scene to measure his intoxication. It's possible that the seriousness of his injuries prevented a breath test.

With the option of either taking a urine or blood sample from Hutchinson at the hospital for alcohol content testing, a state trooper chose urine, Gordon said. Numerous legal experts in this area say urine samples are considered less accurate than blood samples.

Gordan explained that "either type of test meets the legal standard for DWI."

Hutchinson, 41, is in his first term as sheriff. He defeated incumbent Richard Stanek in 2018 by barely more than 2,300 votes out of more than 525,000 cast.

Bruno said he believes Hutchinson can still run for reelection in 2022, despite the alcohol-related crash.

"I've been following his career, and he's pretty well liked by the rank and file [in the Sheriff's Office] and the community," Bruno said.

"This is a single transgression in a career that has been long and unblemished," the attorney said. "I hope the public will understand that."