Woman Charged in Death of 11-Year-Old North Branch Boy

CENTER CITY (AP) - A North Branch woman has been charged in the death of an 11-year-old pedestrian.

The Chisago County Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that 46-year-old Noelle Strohecker is charged with one felony count of criminal vehicular homicide. She's accused of striking Dallas Kasper of North Branch with her vehicle on Aug. 21 as he walked along a road with his father. He died two days later at a hospital.

Strohecker told police she had dropped a lighter as she was driving and reached down to pick it up. She said she realized her vehicle had drifted when she sat back up, but it was too late to avoid hitting the boy.

A criminal complaint says a blood test determined Strohecker had hydrocodone and methadone in her system.

She faces up to 10 years in prison.