Perham Man Charged After Vehicle Crashes Into Apartment Building
A Perham man made his first court appearance after crashing a vehicle into an apartment building on November 16, 2023, injuring a resident. The case raises local concerns about road safety, possible substance use and the effectiveness of distracted driving claims for Otter Tail County residents.
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A Perham man appeared in Otter Tail County court on Monday, November 3, after prosecutors say he drove into an apartment building nearly two years ago, injuring a woman who was inside her home. The November 16, 2023 crash set off an investigation that has included physical evidence, witness accounts, and questions about what caused the driver to veer off the road.
According to Otter Tail County prosecutors, 32 year old Courtney Tyler Hayes first struck a mailbox, then went into a ditch, hit the apartment driveway and ultimately collided with the building. Investigators estimated the vehicle was traveling well over the posted speed limit at the point it became airborne and left the roadway.
The resident who was injured told investigators she had been doing a Bible study and was sitting with her back to the window when her living room wall exploded inward. She reported being pushed across the room and hitting her head on a hutch. Medical records show she sustained a buckle fracture in two ribs and sprained ligaments in her ankles. Those injuries underscore the danger of vehicles striking residential structures and the potential for serious harm to people inside.
Prosecutors say that Hayes admitted to a state trooper that he had been texting while driving and that this caused the crash. A subsequent search warrant of Hayes' phone, however, revealed no incoming or outgoing texts. A sergeant reviewing the investigation noted that Hayes' driving was more consistent with an impairment related loss of consciousness or, in rarer cases, a medical emergency. Photographs from the scene showed an aerosol can that prosecutors say is consistent with an electronic duster, a product they say is commonly abused as an inhalant for huffing.
Hayes faces charges of criminal vehicular operation due to negligence while under the influence of a substance and criminal vehicular operation due to negligence. Those charges were filed by Otter Tail County prosecutors following their review of the crash, the victim's injuries, physical evidence and investigative interviews. His first court appearance on November 3 marks the beginning of the formal legal process.
For Perham and surrounding communities, the case highlights several local concerns. Residents and property owners may reassess risks posed by vehicles colliding with homes and apartment buildings, while community leaders and health professionals may find renewed reason to discuss impaired driving, inhalant abuse and public safety measures. The investigation also raises questions about the role of distracted driving assertions when electronic records do not corroborate such claims.
The legal process will determine whether prosecutors can prove that negligence and impairment led to the collision. In the meantime, the crash serves as a reminder to Otter Tail County residents about the potential consequences of unsafe driving and the vulnerability of people inside homes when vehicles leave the road.
