Man suspected of drunk driving hours before court appearance

Pierce County investigators are waiting for blood alcohol test results after a crash on Highway 65 near Beldenville Monday night.

21-year-old Thomas O'Brien is suspected of operating while under the influence and causing that head on collision.

The crash occurred 15 hours before O'Brien was scheduled to be in court on another OWI charge in a different county.

O'Brien was listed in critical condition at Region's Hospital in St. Paul following Monday's collision.

Deputies say he hit another truck that was traveling south.

In that truck was a mother, father, and 3 year old boy.

The mother and son were treated and released from the hospital shortly after the accident.

The father was listed in good condition at Region's Tuesday night.

"The family that was hit all had their seatbelts on, I think that saved their lives," Pierce County Sheriff Nancy Hove said.

O'Brien was scheduled to make a first appearance on a Chippewa County OWI charge on Tuesday afternoon, stemming from a July 6th arrest.

Sheriff Hove says O'Brien also has a prior history of OWI in Pierce County.

"He's had a couple of drunk-drivings, one that is on his record and one pending," the sheriff explained.

A records check revealed O'Brien pleaded guilty to OWI as an 18 year old in January of 2005.

Jail administrators say he was booked into the Pierce County jail in April of this year on suspicion of OWI. That case is still pending.

Now, there is another case pending in Pierce county, plus the one in Chippewa County.

Blood-alcohol results from this latest arrest on Monday night will be complete in the upcoming days.

By Scott Seroka, KARE 11 News

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