Thief River Falls Felony DWI Case: BAC 0.26
Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — A Grand Forks man is facing a felony DWI charge in Pennington County District Court.
Tyler Lee Olson, 39, was charged with first-degree driving while impaired. The case was filed in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District.
The charge stems from an incident on or about May 1, 2026, in Thief River Falls.
According to the criminal complaint, the case began with a reported domestic assault in Holt. Ashley Marie Bothum told dispatch that Olson had assaulted her.
Bothum also reported that Olson left in a black Ford pickup with North Dakota plates. She said he had been drinking all day.
The complaint says Olson was believed to be heading toward Thief River Falls on Highway 32.
Traffic Stop In Thief River Falls
Authorities later located the vehicle near Main Avenue North and 2nd Street in Thief River Falls.
According to the complaint, Olson was stopped after the pickup was clocked at 45 mph in a 30 mph zone.
Officers reported signs of impairment during contact with Olson. He later agreed to field sobriety testing.
Before testing, Olson allegedly admitted to drinking Budweiser that day.
Tyler Lee Olson
Complaint Alleges 0.26 BAC
The complaint says Olson showed clues of impairment during several field sobriety tests.
Authorities reported issues during eye testing, the walk-and-turn test, and the one-leg stand test.
Olson then provided a preliminary breath test. The complaint says it showed a 0.245 blood alcohol concentration.
He was arrested on suspicion of DWI and taken to the Pennington County Jail.
At the jail, Olson agreed to a breath test. The complaint says the final result was 0.26 BAC.
A search of the vehicle allegedly found two open Crown Royal containers under the driver’s seat.
Authorities also reported finding an empty Budweiser can in the back seat.
Prior DWI History Cited
Court records allege Olson had three prior qualifying impaired driving incidents in North Dakota.
Those incidents listed in the complaint include a 2021 felony criminal vehicular injury case.
The complaint also lists DUI convictions from 2022 and 2024.
First-degree DWI is a felony under Minnesota Statute 169A.24.
Minnesota’s driving while impaired law is listed under Minnesota Statute 169A.20.
The maximum sentence listed in the complaint is seven years in prison, a $14,000 fine, or both.
Olson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.