New Trial Date For Chatfield Man Charged in Rochester Man’s Death

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A new trial date has been set in the case of a Chatfield man accused of driving while intoxicated and causing the death of a Rochester motorcyclist.

59-year-old Nicholas Sprau is charged with three counts of criminal vehicular homicide, along with a gross misdemeanor DWI charge, and a misdemeanor DWI stemming from the death of 36-year-old Rick Hutton. He was fatally injured when Sprau attempted a left turn from Highway 52 into his driveway and his car collided with Hutton's motorcycle on the night of September 10, 2022.

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The criminal complaint says blood samples gathered from Sprau after the fatal crash were tested and measured his blood-alcohol-concentration at more than double the legal limit. The court document also includes the results of a crash reconstruction conducted by the State Patrol.

The report estimated that Hutton's motorcycle was traveling at just under 40 mph when it crashed into the passenger side of Sprau's car. The reconstruction also estimated that the motorcycle was moving at nearly 60 mph when Sprau began to take the left turn and the crash victim hit the brakes.

Sprau's trial had been set to begin last month, but had to be rescheduled. The Olmsted County Court Calendar now indicates the proceedings will begin on October 21. Sprau is also currently scheduled to appear at a pretrial hearing on October 15.

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