BENSON -- A 25-year-old Benson man was scheduled to make his first appearance in court Wednesday for three felony charges of criminal vehicular homicide resulting from a fatal one-vehicle rollover accident July 23 in Swift Falls.
Joshua Roger Fragodt was scheduled to appear in court for three felony charges of criminal vehicular homicide -- one for operation of a vehicle with negligence while under the influence of alcohol, the second for operation of a vehicle with alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, and the third for having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more within two hours of driving.
Gross misdemeanor charges driving while impaired were also filed.
According to the Swift County criminal complaint, the vehicle Fragodt was driving while carrying two passengers rolled over into a ditch after catching the shoulder of County Road 26, a half-mile north of Swift Falls. After hitting the shoulder of the road, Fragodt lost control of the vehicle and went into the ditch.
One passenger, Shawn Steven Narragon, 31, of Benson, died from injuries suffered in the accident.
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The officers on the scene said Fragodt admitted to having two or three alcoholic beverages two hours before driving, according to the complaint. The complaint also states that a blood sample taken from Fragodt following the accident indicated Fragodt had a 0.16 blood-alcohol level.
According to the complaint, an accident reconstruction was also conducted by the Minnesota State Patrol. Following the investigation, the State Patrol concluded the vehicle Fragodt was driving had been traveling between 78 and 88 mph prior to the accident.
Fragodt has a prior conviction for driving while impaired that involved a 0.14 blood-alcohol level on May 28, 2005.
Information available Friday from court administrators did not indicate whether Fragodt has made his first appearance or whether other court dates have been set, and Swift County Attorney Robin Finke did not return phone messages Friday.
