Man appears in court on fatal crash

The driver of a minivan that collided head-on with another minivan Oct. 31 in Bemidji, which resulted in the death of a 47-year-old Bemidji woman, appeared in Beltrami County District Court Monday.

Anthony Dwane Calloway, 45, of Bemidji, offered no plea on the felony charges he faces of two counts of criminal vehicular homicide or operation.

If convicted, Calloway faces 10 years in prison, a $20,000 fine or both on the first count and three years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both on the second count.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on April 16.

According to the criminal complaint:

At about 12:50 p.m. Oct. 31, deputies with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a head-on collision on New Bass Road Northeast, south of County Road 20, in Northern Township.

Inside one of the vans, deputies found a man, later identified as Calloway, sitting in the driver’s seat.

Another man, later identified as Richard Lee Jones, was sitting in the front passenger seat, and a woman, later identified as Dawn Marie Boyd, was found lying on the floor in the backseat.

Inside the second van, which was located on the west side of New Bass Road facing east, deputies found a woman, later identified as Heidi Lee, sitting in the front driver’s seat. Lee was 33 weeks pregnant at the time of the incident and also had her toddler in the vehicle with her.

Lee and Calloway had to be extricated by fire and emergency personnel and life-flighted to Fargo’s Essentia Health. Lee’s 2-year-old son was taken to Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.

Jones was extricated and transported by Bemidji Ambulance to Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, the complaint states.

Boyd, who had several injuries to her head and face, showed no signs of life, the complaint states. First aid was administered to her.

Officers were joined on the scene by paramedics, who indicated Boyd was dead. Boyd’s body was transported to the morgue at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center. An autopsy indicated she died as a result of acute head trauma.

During the afternoon of Oct. 31, Calloway consented to allowing officials to obtain a sample of his blood for analysis, the complaint states.

On Nov. 8, an investigator attained a search warrant and searched the 1987 Dodge Caravan Calloway drove Oct. 31. The investigator found a liter of vodka, which was approximately 1/3 full, an open can of malt liquor with some liquid remaining in it and two unopened cans of beer.

On Nov. 21, an investigator and deputy went to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo to speak with Lee.

Lee told officers she was coming from Birchmont Drive Oct. 31 and was traveling south on New Bass Road in her Honda Odyssey van, en route to Tall Pines Road Northeast.

Lee told officers she saw the other minivan driving north toward Birchmont. As she drove around the corner, the other minivan swerved into her lane, she said.

At the hospital, officers learned Lee was bruised from head to toe, had cuts on her hand and a cut on her right eyelid and had a broken kneecap.

An investigator and deputy attempted to speak with Calloway while they were at the medical center in Fargo, but Calloway was in too much pain, the complaint states.

On Nov. 18, officers received the results of Calloway’s blood draw, which indicated his blood-alcohol concentration was .16.

On Nov. 22, an investigator made telephone contact with Calloway, who said he was out of the hospital and at home. Calloway agreed to meet with the investigator on the morning of Nov. 23.

According to the complaint, Calloway said that on Oct. 31 he went to a pawn shop and then met Boyd and Jones. He said he gave them a ride to a liquor store where Boyd purchased a bottle. He said he did not remember what type of bottle Boyd had purchased. Calloway told the investigator the next thing he remembered was being in a hospital in Fargo.

The investigator asked Calloway if he had been drinking Oct. 31. Calloway said he did not want to answer the question. When the investigator returned to his office, he learned Calloway had left a voicemail message on his phone.

The investigator returned Calloway’s call. During the conversation, Calloway told the investigator that on Oct. 31, when he got to the pawn shop, he thought it was closed, so he drove to the liquor store and purchased a “half-pint” and then returned to the pawn shop, the complaint states.

A check on Calloway’s driving record showed his license is valid and he has no prior impaired driving incidents.