Minnesota – In a deeply tragic case that has shocked Minnesota residents, a 28-year-old mother, identified as R. Peloquin, is facing serious charges after driving drunk with her three young children and crashing into a water-filled ditch — a decision that resulted in the death of her 1-year-old son. Peloquin has been charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide – negligence – under the influence of alcohol. Prosecutors say Peloquin was intoxicated while driving, causing the vehicle to flip into a ditch — killing her infant son.
Authorities say Peloquin’s blood-alcohol level measured 0.172, more than twice the legal limit in Minnesota, and she also admitted to smoking marijuana earlier that day. Despite her claims that she had only consumed “a couple of shots” the night before, officers found several liquor mini-bottles scattered along the crash site, closely following the path of the vehicle. She is currently being held on $250,000 bail as the case moves forward. The fatal collision occurred just after 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Peloquin was driving along the highway with her children in the vehicle when she attempted to exit onto another road. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, she took the ramp at a high speed, lost control of the vehicle, and veered off the road. The vehicle flipped and plunged into a water-filled ditch.
When state troopers and first responders arrived, they encountered a scene of panic and desperation. Emergency crews were already working frantically to rescue the trapped child. Peloquin, visibly injured with cuts on her arms and legs, screamed repeatedly, “save my baby,” as the fire department used hydraulic tools to lift the vehicle from the ditch. By the time rescuers reached the 1-year-old boy under the wreckage, it was too late. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The two other children, ages 5 and 6, along with a 32-year-old male passenger, sustained only minor injuries.
Peloquin initially told officers that she had been driving her kids to their grandmother’s home in hopes of finally getting a short break from her responsibilities. “I’m a single mom and I don’t get a f–ing break,” she reportedly told troopers. She also blamed the crash on slippery roads and worn tires, saying, “I lost control of the f–ing wheel and it spun the f– out… My f–ing wheels are like a little bit f–ing bald.” But troopers reported that the roads were dry that evening, contradicting Peloquin’s version. Adding to the suspicion, her breath reportedly carried an “overwhelming odor of alcohol.”
In a puzzling turn, while being transported to the county jail, Peloquin shifted her story. She claimed she wasn’t driving at all — that the 32-year-old male passenger had been behind the wheel and she had only taken responsibility because the SUV was registered in her name. However, the consistency of evidence pointing to her as the driver, along with her initial confession and field tests, undermined that claim.
The 1-year-old boy’s death marks yet another preventable tragedy involving impaired driving and child endangerment. Authorities are now working to ensure accountability for the decision that ended a young life and left a family shattered. Peloquin, a mother of three, now sits in a jail cell, facing the weight of charges that may reshape the course of her own life — but only after taking the life of her youngest child. As her case moves through the courts, the community mourns a little boy who never had a chance to grow up, and wonders how such a senseless loss could have happened at all.
