WORTHINGTON -- A Brewster man has been charged with several counts of criminal vehicular operation stemming from a one-vehicle rollover in December.
While allegedly driving impaired, Ryan James Eidhammer, 22, rolled his pickup, injuring himself and his passenger. Eidhammer was charged Monday with three counts of criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm, along with one count of third-degree driving while impaired.
According to the criminal complaint, a Nobles County deputy was called at 3:45 a.m. to investigate an accident Dec. 2, 2006. The person who called said he had just had an accident and was hurt.
The deputy found the pickup 25 to 30 yards out in a field on its roof, with a man lying 15 feet away from the truck to the west.
The man, Eidhammer, said he could not move his legs. He asked the deputy to check on his friend, who the deputy located about 20 yards east of the truck. The victim slowly looked toward the deputy and did not reply when asked if he was OK.
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Eidhammer asked several times about the condition of his friend. During this conversation, the deputy noticed Eidhammer's eyes were bloodshot, and that he had a moderate odor of alcohol about him.
The ambulance and rescue squads arrived to take care of the two men. EMTs noted the victim was found 100 feet from the wrecked pickup. Deputies investigating the scene believe the vehicle was traveling west on 220th Street when the driver lost control, slid into the north ditch and rolled several times into the field.
At almost 5 a.m., a deputy went to the emergency room and told Eidhammer he was going to have blood drawn for alcohol analysis. Results of the draw showed that at the time of the test, Eidhammer had a .21 blood alcohol concentration.
Medical reports from the hospital revealed that, after initial examination of the victim, he was diagnosed with a closed head injury and possible abdominal injury as a result of the accident. While in the emergency room, the victim became unresponsive. He was transported to a Sioux Falls, S.D., hospital by air ambulance.
In the Sioux Falls hospital, the victim was diagnosed with a brain contusion, a scalp hematoma and transverse process fractures of his lumbar vertebra. Once medically stable, he was transferred to inpatient rehabilitation and recommended for speech, physical and occupational therapy. In speech therapy, specialists reported, as of Dec. 11, 2006, the victim was experiencing decreased attention and concentration skills, slow processing speed, moderate deficits with memory and problems with daily math skills.
If convicted of all charges, Eidhammer faces a maximum combined penalty of 16 years in jail and/or a $33,000 fine. His next court appearance is 9 a.m. April 10 at the Prairie Justice Center.
