An Eden Prairie woman is facing charges after allegedly striking an ambulance with her vehicle and refusing a chemical test following her arrest last month.
Sarah Lauren Tangen, 36, is charged in Hennepin County District Court with second-degree driving while impaired (test refusal), a gross misdemeanor, and failing to stop after a collision, a misdemeanor, according to court records.
According to a criminal complaint, Eden Prairie police were dispatched at about 10:44 p.m. April 17 to a hit-and-run report near the 6200 block of St. John’s Drive. Paramedics said a dark-colored Volkswagen hatchback collided with their ambulance on the driver’s side and continued west without stopping.
Officers traced the license plate to Tangen’s nearby residence. When police contacted her, they observed signs of intoxication, including the odor of alcohol, watery eyes, slurred speech, and a warm hood on the vehicle. Officers also noted fresh damage to the front passenger side.
Tangen denied driving the vehicle and refused to perform field sobriety tests, the complaint states. A neighbor later told officers Tangen had arrived home just minutes earlier and had been driving.
After her arrest, Tangen refused to submit to a breath test at the Eden Prairie Police Department.
Court records show Tangen has two prior DWI convictions, including a second-degree DWI in 2019. She was booked into Hennepin County Jail early April 18 and released later that evening on $12,000 conditional bail. Her first court appearance is scheduled for May 7 at the Ridgedale courthouse in Minnetonka.
Comments
We offer several ways for our readers to provide feedback. Your comments are welcome on our social media posts (Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn). We also encourage Letters to the Editor; submission guidelines can be found on our Contact Us page. If you believe this story has an error or you would like to get in touch with the author, please connect with us.