May 29—CALEDONIA, Minn.—A 49-year-old Wisconsin woman who admitted to drinking nine beers before driving has been sentenced for her role in a July 2023 crash that injured another driver.
Heather Marie Horsfall, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, was convicted Tuesday, May 28, of a gross misdemeanor charge of operating a criminal vehicle while under the influence of alcohol in Houston County District Court.
As part of the plea deal, two felony counts of operating a criminal vehicle causing serious injury, a similar gross misdemeanor, and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence were dismissed.
Horsfall was ordered to serve 10 days in jail, with credit for one day; will be placed on probation for two years during which she will be prohibited from drinking alcohol and ordered to pay a $500 fine and restitution.
According to the criminal complaint, Horsfall admitted to drinking nine beers prior to the crash on July 27, 2023, at the intersection of Minnesota State Highway 16 and Minnesota State Highway 26 south of La Crescent.
The driver of the other vehicle was traveling west on Highway 16 when Horsfall failed to stop at a stop sign.
Horsfall showed signs of impairment before and after she failed three field sobriety tests. A preliminary breath test showed that Horsfall had a blood alcohol level of 0.12.
Two days after the crash, the driver of the other vehicle told police that a CT scan at Mayo Hospital in La Crosse showed she had a broken sternum.
