ROSEAU, Minn. (WKRC) – A woman has been charged in a fatal head-on collision after claiming her dog caused her to lose control of her vehicle.
On May 29 at approximately 4 p.m., 43-year-old Shauna Dokken was driving on a highway when her vehicle reportedly swerved into oncoming traffic, striking an SUV operated by 82-year-old Barbara Lee Welburg. Welburg was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.
First responders reported that Dokken exhibited slurred speech but tested negative for alcohol. She informed emergency personnel that she had taken multiple prescription medications earlier that day, including Adderall and lorazepam. Dokken sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital.
A witness at the scene indicated that he had to maneuver his own vehicle to avoid a collision with Dokken's, suggesting that her vehicle seemed to veer toward him intentionally. Dokken reportedly provided inconsistent accounts of the incident, once claiming that her dog “twisted the steering wheel” causing her to crash.
Dokken, who was on probation for a DWI conviction from 2025, has been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are pending.