Manslaughter and other criminal charges have been filed against the 16-year-old girl behind the wheel in a fatal crash in north Fargo last fall, prosecutors said Thursday.
The name of the girl isn't being released because the charges are filed, for now, in the juvenile division of Cass County District Court.
Prosecutors in the Cass County State's Attorney's Office have filed a motion seeking to move the case to adult court, the prosecutors said in a news release.
The accident happened Oct. 16 shortly after 1 a.m., killing Tyler Tweten, a 17-year-old junior at Fargo South High School.
Police said at the time that the car was traveling north on Seventh Street and tried to turn left on 11th Avenue North when it slid into a tree at 1:08 a.m.
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Tweten, who was wearing his seat belt, was one of three male passengers in the car. Michelle Tweten, his mother, said her son was able to get out of the car after the collision but collapsed soon after.
In addition to the felony manslaughter charge, the 16-year-old girl faces misdemeanors of aggravated reckless driving and being a minor in possession of alcohol by consumption, prosecutors said in the news release.
North Dakota law makes manslaughter a Class B felony, punishable upon conviction by up to 10 years in prison.
Prosecutors said in the release that a hearing on the motion to move the case to the adult division of district court will be heard at a later date. No specific date was mentioned.
Phone messages for the assistant state's attorneys prosecuting the case, Tracy Peters and Renata Selzer, weren't immediately returned.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Roepke at (701) 241-5535
