A 46-year-old White Bear Lake man has been sentenced to two years in state prison for a hit-and-run that killed a 72-year-old pedestrian in a marked crosswalk in March 2025, bringing formal closure to a high-profile Ramsey County case.
According to KARE 11, Christopher Olson pleaded guilty to one count of criminal vehicular homicide as part of a plea deal that led prosecutors to drop two additional counts. Olson received credit for two days already served and was ordered to serve the rest of his term at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud.
The fatal crash happened on March 27, 2025, when Olson's SUV struck 72-year-old Debra Lee Lenzmeier as she used a marked crosswalk at White Bear Parkway and Birch Lake Boulevard North, according to the Star Tribune. Witnesses told investigators that several vehicles had stopped to allow the pedestrian to cross, but the Kia Telluride continued through the crosswalk, and Lenzmeier was pronounced dead at the scene.
Roughly 20 minutes after the collision, Olson arrived at the White Bear Lake Police Department with his mother and admitted he had been drinking before driving. A preliminary breath test measured his blood-alcohol concentration at 0.154 percent, according to KSTP.
Charges and penalties
Under Minnesota law, criminal vehicular homicide carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000, according to Minnesota Statutes. Court records show Olson was initially charged with three counts tied to negligent driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene, charges that were reduced under the plea agreement, as reported by KARE 11.
Lenzmeier was formally identified as the victim, and records also show Olson has prior DWI convictions from 2009 and 2012, according to the Star Tribune. Local reporting and prosecutors have repeatedly pointed to the case as another stark reminder of the ongoing fight against impaired driving in Minnesota.
