Hubbard County (trfnews.i234.me) A Laporte woman is charged with a drug-related DWI after a traffic stop on Highway 34, according to a criminal complaint filed in Hubbard County District Court.
Charge filed
Laura Amber Johnson, 47, of Laporte, is charged with third-degree DWI. The complaint says it involved a Schedule I or II controlled substance, or a metabolite. The charge is a gross misdemeanor under Minnesota law.
The case lists Prosecutor File No. 26CR01075 and Court File No. 29-CR-26-156. The alleged offense date is February 23, 2026.
More on the DWI statute can be found through the Minnesota Revisor’s Office at Minn. Stat. 169A.20 and Minn. Stat. 169A.26.
Traffic stop on Highway 34
According to the complaint, an officer saw a red GMC Yukon with a snow-covered rear plate. The stop happened around 2:32 p.m. The location was State Highway 34 east of County Road 4.
The complaint says the driver had rapid speech and fidgety movements. The driver was identified as Laura Amber Johnson, according to the filing.
The complaint also says Johnson had a revoked driving status. It says she could not provide proof of insurance.
Tests and arrest
The complaint says Johnson told the officer she takes medications. It says she could not name them. It also says she reported she should use a walker.
Several field sobriety tests were performed, the complaint states. It describes issues during the walk-and-turn test and one-leg stand test. It also describes a timing estimate during a modified Romberg test.
The complaint says Johnson was asked about drug use. It says she admitted using methamphetamine and marijuana. It says she claimed she had not used them recently.
Johnson was arrested, according to the complaint. A search warrant was sought for a blood or urine sample, the filing states.
Urine dispute and blood draw
The complaint says Johnson first agreed to provide urine. At the jail, staff member Holly Malm assisted with collection, the filing states.
Malm told the officer she believed toilet water was collected, the complaint says. It also says the container felt cold.
After that, the complaint says Johnson agreed to a blood draw. Jail staff could not obtain a sample, the filing states.
The complaint says Johnson was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital. It says hospital staff member Flo Catayar assisted with the blood draw.
The complaint says the sample was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis. The BCA’s public information page is available at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca.
Prior incident noted
The complaint alleges Johnson has one prior qualifying incident. It lists an implied consent matter in Hubbard County dated February 17, 2023. It also references a violation date of October 16, 2023.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.