Otsego Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Fatal 2009 Crash

Otsego resident Gregory Allen Thomas, now 48, regrets his decision to get behind the wheel the day of Sept. 26, 2009.

Now, he'll spend one year in jail and be subject to 10 years probation for that choice.

Thomas was driving his Nissan 300X on ohland Avenue, not far from his Otsego home, when he lost control on a curve. The accident, which happened in broad daylight on a fall afternoon, killed Dennis Lee Hanenburg.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Wright County:

Wright County Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to a rollover accident int he driveway of 9250 Ohland Avenue Northeast in the City of Otsego around 2:30 p.m. Sept. 26, 2009.

Upon arrival, deputies found the Nissan rolled over, on its roof, with both Thomas and Hanenburg hanging upside down, held in by their seatbelts.

As paramedics were attending to the driver, Thomas, he talked with deputies. One smelled alcohol on Thomas' breath. He admitted he had consumed alcohol prior to driving the sports car.

Both men were extricated from the vehicle and taken to hospitals, with Handenburg airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale. He died that afternoon as a result from injuries sustained in the crash. 

Based upon the investigation of the accident scene, the Wright County Sheriff's Office deputies determined Thomas had accellerated to a high rate of speed and lost control on an S-type curve on Ohland Avenue, left the roadway and entered the ditch. The vehicle "slid sidways" through the ditch, until the vehicle struck a retaining walll. The car then rolled over and came to rest on its roof.

A deputy went to Mercy Hospital with purposes of obtaining a blood sample from Thomas. Results came back with a .14 alcohol level, with the deputy using a blood kit from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

As the defendant (Thomas) had not consumed alcohol between the time of the accident and the time of the test (while getting medical treatment) it was concluded his alcohol level at the time of the crash was above the legal limit of .08.

In addition to serving one year in jail, Thomas is subject to a $500 fine and 10 years of probation. He is to have no use or possession of alcohol or non-prescription drugs, submit to random testing, remain medically compliant, obtain permission before leaving the state, provide DNA sample, have no use or possession of firearms or dangerous weapons, participate by speaking at awareness panels for impaired drivers, pay restitution, attend a support group, undergo counseling, undergo chemical dependency treatment and follow all recommendations, have no same or similar violations.