MOORHEAD — A Fargo man was under the influence in Moorhead when he crashed a vehicle with four young children in it, deputies alleged in court documents.
Aaron Mitchell Lambert, 27, appeared Friday, Jan. 21, in Clay County District Court on charges of driving while intoxicated and child endangerment. The case stems from a report of a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed around 3:40 a.m. Friday, a criminal complaint said.
A tow truck had been called to the vehicle for gasoline, but the vehicle sped away after being fueled, the complaint said. A deputy then spotted an SUV driving 98 mph in a 65 mph zone, a Clay County deputy said.
The vehicle crashed into a ditch as it entered Hawley, Minnesota, the complaint said. Lambert, a woman and four juvenile children ages 4 months to 5 years old were inside, according to the complaint. One child had no seat belt on when the officer arrived at the crash scene, the complaint said.
“Further investigation showed while the infant was in a car seat, there was only one additional booster seat in the vehicle, not enough for all of the juveniles to be safely secured,” the complaint said.
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The woman, who was in the driver's seat, said she switched seats with Lambert so he wouldn’t get in trouble, the complaint said. He previously was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of meth and marijuana, according to the complaint.
Court records said he was charged this month in Cass County, North Dakota, with driving under the influence with two children on Jan. 7 in West Fargo.
Deputies said Lambert showed signs of impairment and was arrested. Results for a blood test are pending, the complaint said.
Lambert's attorney, Chris Snyder, declined to comment.
