Stewartville woman gets probation in DWI case after 0.387 preliminary breath reading

STEWARTVILLE, Minn. — A Stewartville woman has been sentenced to 364 days in jail, with the entire sentence stayed for three years, after pleading guilty to gross misdemeanor second-degree DWI in Olmsted County District Court. The conviction stems from a June 2026 incident in which authorities say she purchased a bottle of vodka, drove her pickup truck into a ditch and registered a preliminary breath alcohol reading of 0.387 — nearly five times Minnesota’s standard legal limit.

Elizabeth Marie Hansen was sentenced on October 15, 2026, and placed on three years of supervised probation. Because the entire 364-day jail sentence was stayed, she was not ordered to serve that time unless the court revokes the stay. She was also fined $3,000, with $2,100 stayed, leaving $900 in unstayed fines before any additional applicable court costs or fees. Her sentence requires participation in Minnesota’s ignition interlock program, a chemical-dependency evaluation, abstinence from alcohol and non-prescribed controlled substances, chemical testing, and staying out of bars and liquor stores.

The conviction follows a June 17, 2026, incident in Stewartville when Olmsted County Deputy Fay responded to reports of an intoxicated woman at Fareway Foods. According to the criminal complaint, a witness saw Hansen supporting herself against a wall while purchasing a bottle of vodka before leaving the store, entering a black 2005 GMC Sierra pickup truck and driving into a nearby ditch.

Deputy Fay subsequently located the pickup near Star Transportation and found Hansen asleep in the driver’s seat. According to the complaint, the deputy knocked on the window several times before Hansen woke, sat upright, looked at the deputy and then lay back down and closed her eyes again. After additional attempts to get her attention, she opened the door. The deputy reported a strong odor of alcohol and said she appeared unable to understand or follow basic instructions. When asked questions or directed to perform field sobriety tests, she allegedly discussed unrelated topics rather than completing the requested tasks.

During the roadside investigation, Hansen provided a preliminary breath test that registered 0.387, according to the complaint. Compared with Minnesota’s standard alcohol-concentration threshold of 0.08, that reading was approximately 4.8 times the limit. It was also more than twice the 0.16 concentration threshold identified in the state’s DWI aggravating-factor provisions.

Hansen was taken into custody and transported to the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center. According to the complaint, she was advised of her rights and given an opportunity to contact an attorney before chemical testing. Rather than dialing a telephone number, she reportedly held the phone and spoke to herself for approximately one minute. Deputies also reported that she attempted to remove her clothing multiple times, tried to leave an interview room through a door without an interior handle and made affectionate statements toward deputies. These observations were described in the complaint as part of the investigation into her apparent impairment.

Authorities attempted an evidentiary breath test using a DataMaster instrument, but Hansen reportedly grabbed the testing straw and did not provide a sufficient sample. A second preliminary breath test registered 0.355, according to the complaint. Deputies subsequently obtained a search warrant for a blood draw, and Hansen was transported to a detoxification facility. The reported preliminary readings are distinct from the attempted DataMaster test. A blood-test result was not included in the information supplied for this article.

The complaint also identified two prior DWI convictions within the preceding 10 years as aggravating factors. On October 15, Hansen pleaded guilty to gross misdemeanor second-degree DWI for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol with two or more aggravating factors. A separate alcohol-concentration count was dismissed as part of the resolution.

Hansen must comply with the court-ordered conditions during her three-year supervised probation term. Violations could result in further court proceedings and the possibility that some or all of the stayed jail sentence would be ordered served.

Source: Complaint and sentencing information supplied for publication. The complete court file and current docket were not independently reviewed.