Unborn Child Dies, St. Cloud Woman Critical After Suspected Impaired Driving Crash

(KNSI) – A 34-year-old St. Cloud woman is in critical condition, and her unborn child has died following a head-on collision caused by an allegedly intoxicated driver on Friday afternoon.

According to the St. Cloud Police Department, the crash occurred around 1:00 p.m. on February 13th in the 3200 block of 5th Street North. Investigators say a 32-year-old from Avon veered his SUV into oncoming traffic while traveling westbound.

Commander Adam Meierding reported the man’s vehicle hit a minivan driven by Nastaho Amare, who police say was in the late stages of pregnancy. The impact pinned Amare inside her vehicle, which then caught fire.

St. Cloud Fire Department crews arrived on scene and extricated Amare while extinguishing the flames. She was rushed to St. Cloud Hospital with serious injuries. Police later confirmed that as a result of the crash, Amare’s unborn child did not survive. Amare remains in critical condition.

The Avon man was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Based on their investigation, officers believed he was impaired at the time of the crash and that alcohol was a contributing factor.

Officers obtained a search warrant for a blood draw from the man at the hospital. He was subsequently arrested and transported to Stearns County Jail, where he is being held on charges related to the crash.

The Minnesota State Patrol assisted with crash reconstruction. The investigation remains active and ongoing.

KNSI News does not typically name suspects until they have been formally charged.

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