Blake Ahlbrecht sentenced to 48 months for crash that killed passenger

Linda Vanderwerf, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·2 min read

Jun. 19—LITCHFIELD — Blake Lee Ahlbrecht was sentenced to 48 months in prison Thursday for his role in a crash in May 2018 that killed his friend and injured the driver of another vehicle.

Ahlbrecht, 63, of Grove City, pleaded guilty in April to two felony counts: criminal vehicular homicide — leaving the scene and criminal vehicular operation — leaving the scene. He was sentenced to 48 months for criminal vehicular homicide and 13 months for criminal vehicular operation. The sentences will run concurrently.

Ahlbrecht received credit for 20 days of time served in jail. He was also ordered to pay a total of $2,145.78 in restitution, fees and fines.

See related stories on Albrecht case.

Steven Delmer Schmidt, 57, of Atwater, died in the crash May 4, 2018, when Ahlbrecht drove a van into the path of a semi on Minnesota Highway 4 north of Grove City. The driver of the semi was trapped inside his truck and injured.

According to court records, Ahlbrecht was arrested after the crash and was released from jail later that month.

The fatal crash occurred after Ahlbrecht drove his van down Meeker County Road 16 with two friends inside. Witnesses said he drove around a vehicle stopped at a stop sign and pulled onto Highway 4 in front of a semi.

Schmidt was thrown from the vehicle and landed on the road. He did not regain consciousness and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The semi was on its side in the ditch, and the driver was pinned inside and was airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital. The driver and witnesses said he had no time to brake when the van drove in front of him.

After the crash, Ahlbrecht walked away from the scene. A Meeker County sheriff's deputy found him crawling on his hands and knees in a cow pasture nearby.

Open and unopened beer cans were found in and around the van.

Court records say Ahlbrecht failed all field sobriety tests, and his preliminary breath test was higher than 0.08 percent. A blood test about 2 1/2 hours later indicated a blood alcohol concentration of 0.09.

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