Rochester Woman Who Crashed Truck Into City Building Convicted

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester woman who crashed into the entryway of a city government building after leading police on a chase in April has been convicted of a felony.

Rochester police reported the arrest of 36-year-old Megan Elizabeth Swanstrom on the night of April 3 after the pickup truck she was driving smashed through the glass doors of the Rochester Development Services and Infrastructure Center at 4001 West River Parkway Northwest. The crash ended a slow-speed pursuit that began around 7:30 that evening after an officer on routine patrol witnessed a pickup truck driven by Swanstrom rear-end another vehicle in a construction zone along North Broadway.

Slow Speed Chase Through Construction Zone

According to the criminal complaint against Swanstrom, she did not stop and drove around construction cones into the opposing lane of traffic, causing other drivers to slam on their brakes. The court document says the officer then activated the squad car’s emergency lights, and Swanstrom drove over the median onto a closed section of roadway, which caused the front left tire on her pickup truck to go flat.

The pursuit then continued west on Elton Hills Drive and then West River Parkway, where the pickup was seen swerving into oncoming traffic and colliding with another vehicle. The criminal complaint says another motorist had to drive completely over the curb to avoid a head-on collision before Swanstrom left the road and continued traveling on the sidewalk.

Fleeing Motorist Crashed Into Squad Cars

Police then attempted to block traffic near the intersection of 37th Street and 9th Avenue Northwest, but the criminal complaint says Swanstrom deliberately crashed into two squad cars and then drove the pickup truck into the entryway of the government facility.

At the time of her arrest, an officer indicated she appeared to be under the influence of some type of substance. The criminal

complaint says she stated she was pregnant and had a methamphetamine pipe in her bra. The court document also includes an officer’s statement saying he heard her say, “I am high on meth,” while she was being transferred to medical care.

Plea Deal Worked Out With Olmsted Prosecutors

Swanstrom was charged with a felony count of obstructing the legal process, felony fleeing police, and a gross misdemeanor count of DWI. Under a plea agreement with Olmsted County prosecutors, Swanstrom today entered a guilty plea to the charge of obstructing the legal process in exchange for the dismissal of the other charges.

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Felony Charge From the Second Incident Dismissed

The plea agreement also includes the dismissal of a second-degree felony assault charge and a count of misdemeanor domestic assault stemming from an incident in late April. In that case, Swanstrom was accused of assaulting a man with two knives in a home she shared with the victim. The victim told police he restrained Swanstrom by grabbing her wrists, but she responded by kneeing him in the groin before he managed to flee the home.

Swanstrom is scheduled to be sentenced in March.

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