![Deputy Allegedly Had Fentanyl in System During Deadly Chase](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2019/03/Overdose.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Deputy Allegedly Had Fentanyl in System During Deadly Chase
FERGUS FALLS (AP) — Authorities say an Otter Tail County deputy was under the influence of the powerful painkiller fentanyl while involved in a high-speed chase that ended in a deadly crash.
Deputy Kelly Backman is charged with misconduct by a public officer and driving while intoxicated for the October incident that killed a couple in Fergus Falls. Court documents show that Backman was in pursuit of a minivan driven by a man who was the subject of a drug investigation.
The minivan allegedly ran a stop sign and caused a crash that killed 72-year-old Steve Christianson and his 71-year-old wife, Diane, both of Fergus Falls.
![AM 1240 WJON logo](https://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2021/11/attachment-wjonam-alexacard-big.jpg?w=100)
Get our free mobile app
Advice from Minnesotans to Southerners Experiencing Winter
More From AM 1240 WJON
![Step Right Up: Everything You Need To Know About The 2024 Sherburne County Fair](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2024/07/attachment-SherburneCountyFair-PHOTO-TiffanyLeigh.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Search Warrants Turn Up Haul of Stolen Property](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2024/01/Crime-Tape.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![St. Ben’s, St. John’s Official Higher Ed Partners with MN United](http://townsquare.media/site/70/files/2019/11/soccer_ball_getty_Michael-Regan_Getty24.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Gas Prices Fall in Minnesota, Rise Nationally](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2023/04/attachment-GettyImages-97962772.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![St. Cloud’s Coborn’s, CentraCare Make List of Biggest Minnesota Employers](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2024/07/attachment-Jobs3-Thinkstock-GettyImages.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Central MN Meat Market Introduces 24/7 Meat Vending Machine](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2024/07/attachment-Jen-and-Travis.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Becker Woman Hurt in Crash Near Spicer](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2023/06/State-Patrol-Stock-2.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Get Ready For Change: Minnesota Introduces Area Code 924 Overlay](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2024/07/attachment-NewAreaCode.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![MSP Ranked Top U.S. Airport in 2024](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2024/07/attachment-MAC_MSP-Airport_Terminal-1_Delta_6x4_200.jpg?w=980&q=75)