Woman Accused Of Running Over Tent, Killing Infant Appears In Court

Good evening and thanks for joining us, I'm Betsy Gessell.The woman who allegedly ran over a tent killing a four - month - old boy and injuring his mother makes her first court appearance in Renville County today.Fox Mankato's Carly Aplin has the details from today's arraignment.A full courtroom watched as Nicole Prechel listened to the judge read all seven charges against her.The judge today set Prechel's bail at 500 thousand dollars with no conditions, or a conditional 200 thousand dollars.The 31 - year - old is accused of backing over her cousin's infant while he lay sleeping in a tent with his mother, 21 - year old Sheena Hinshaw.Relatives today say the incident... which killed four - month - old Wyatt Sanders has divided their family.Monica Ockwig says, "Both the perpetrator and the victim are loved members of the same family and while it appears senseless we all try to make something that we can of it and continue on."Monica Ockwig is Wyatt's grandmother... she says Wyatt's father Jason Sanders and the defendant Nicolle Prechel were cousins who shared a close relationship.But, at the hearing today the prosecution requested that Prechel have no contact with Jason or Wyatt's mother if she's released on bail.Monica says Wyatt's parents are just trying to cope with this tragedy.Monica Ockwig says, "Wyatt was their lives, he was just the life force that ran through them.... They are very desperately trying to make sense of this and to deal with such a thing to have been taken from them."Authorities say this tragedy could have been avoided...According to the complaint Prechel consumed the majority of a one-liter bottle of Southern Comfort and had smoked marijuana during the evening of July 4... The complaint says she had a breath alcohol level of point one seven when tested after the incident.Glen Jacobsen says, "Many times when people are consuming alcoholic beverages on one night, they wake up and they're still impaired... They may not know it, they may not realize it... But that's the situation... Alcohol doesn't burn out of your system as fast as you hope and wish it would."I also spoke briefly with Nicolle's sister today... she said she was also at the campground the morning of the incident and witnessed what happened... she says she hasn't spoken with her sister since that day.Prechel is facing seven criminal charges including Criminal Vehicular Homicide, Third Degree DWI and driving with a suspended license.Carly Aplin, the Fox Mankato News at Nine.



 


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