A Minnesota Driver Says Her Dog Grabbed the Wheel. An 82-Year-Old Woman Is Dead

What Happened

The crash happened around 4 PM on May 29 on Minnesota State Highway 11 near 440th Avenue, approximately five miles east of Roseau. Dokken's 2000 Ford F-250 pickup crossed the center line and struck a 2013 Kia Sorento head-on. The driver of the Kia, Barbara Lee Welberg, 82, of Baudette, was pronounced dead at the scene. Welberg's vehicle was overturned by the impact. Dokken sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital. 

What made this crash stand out immediately was what witnesses had observed before it even happened. Multiple witnesses told investigators they observed erratic driving before the crash, beginning near curves south of the Roseau Airport. One witness said he called 911 and attempted to follow Dokken's truck to get a license plate number after watching it cross completely into oncoming traffic. Another driver reported swerving onto the shoulder to avoid her vehicle and told investigators it felt as if the driver was intentionally trying to hit him.

What Dokken Told Investigators

Dokken gave multiple and conflicting accounts of what led to the crash. In one version, she claimed her dog distracted her, then grabbed the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to spin out of control. According to court documents, she said she tried to regain control but struck the highway shoulder, which led to the collision.

Responding troopers noted that Dokken had slurred speech. She told investigators she had taken prescription medications that day, including Buspar, lorazepam, a Schedule IV controlled substance, and Adderall, a Schedule II controlled substance. She denied consuming alcohol, and a preliminary breath test returned a result of 0.00. Authorities obtained a search warrant for a blood sample, which was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis. Results are pending, and prosecutors have said additional charges could be filed depending on the findings. 

The Charges & Her Prior Record

Dokken was charged on Monday, June 2, in Roseau County District Court with criminal vehicular homicide, operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner, a felony carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a $20,000 fine. She also faces two felony counts of driving while impaired: one for being under the influence of a controlled substance, and one for DWI within 10 years of three or more qualified prior impaired driving incidents. 

That last charge is significant. At the time of the crash, Dokken was already on probation stemming from a conviction for driving while under the influence of drugs in May 2025. She is being held in Roseau County Jail on $200,000 bail. A detention order was signed by District Court Judge Tamara Yon. As of this writing, court records do not list a private attorney for Dokken, though all criminal defendants in Minnesota are provided a public defender at initial appearances. 

What the Law Says About Impaired Driving & Animal Distraction

The "my dog did it" explanation has captured public attention, but from a legal standpoint, it is not the kind of defense that goes very far when layered on top of the facts in this case. A driver who takes multiple prescription medications that affect the central nervous system, gets on a public highway, and is observed swerving into oncoming traffic by multiple witnesses before a fatal crash bears responsibility for what happens, regardless of what else was occurring inside the vehicle. Allowing a dog to roam freely in a vehicle is itself a form of distracted driving, and in many states, an unrestrained animal in a car is treated as a contributing factor in any resulting accident, not an exculpatory one.

The more legally meaningful detail here is Dokken's prescription drug cocktail and her prior impairment record. Lorazepam and Adderall together carry significant warnings about impaired motor function and judgment. The fact that a blood test was ordered and its results are still pending suggests that prosecutors are building toward a case grounded in drug impairment rather than one that will hinge on the credibility of the dog explanation. 

Court documents also cite statements from Dokken's partner, who told investigators she had previously misused her prescription medications by snorting them rather than taking them as directed. That detail, if it holds up, would be relevant to any argument that she was not simply following a legitimate prescription regimen on the day of the crash.

Prior convictions for DWI also matter enormously in sentencing, and the additional charge of DWI within 10 years of three or more qualified prior incidents signals that Dokken has a documented history that will almost certainly be part of whatever sentence she ultimately faces if convicted.

What Barbara Welberg's Family May Pursue

An 82-year-old woman traveling on a rural Minnesota highway in the afternoon was killed because another driver crossed the center line. Whatever the outcome of the criminal case, Welberg's family has a strong foundation for a wrongful death civil claim. A driver on probation for drug impairment, operating a vehicle while having taken multiple controlled substances, who was reported to law enforcement by multiple witnesses before the fatal collision, represents the kind of clear, documented negligence that civil claims are built around. The criminal proceedings and the pending blood test results will only add to that record.

If you have lost a family member due to impaired driving, the independent attorneys we connect you with can help you understand your legal options and pursue accountability on your family's behalf.

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