Paul Rewitzer, 73, and his wife Paulette, 74, lived together for decades in their small town of Hanska. That long stretch of life ended early Saturday morning on a dark section of rural highway just a few miles from home.
The couple was driving down Brown County Road 13 when another vehicle hit their Oldsmobile just north of Brown County Road 22. Calls to 911 brought local deputies out to the scene shortly after midnight.
Brown County Deputy Erik Byro arrived and found two heavily damaged vehicles blocking the road. Inside the crushed Oldsmobile, both Paul and Paulette were unresponsive. First responders pronounced the couple dead right at the scene.
Standing near the wrecked Oldsmobile was 28-year-old Shianne Lee Escobar, who also lives in Hanska. Officers identified her as the driver of the other vehicle, a Chevy Silverado pickup truck.
Investigators learned that Escobar was driving back to Hanska after spending time at a bar in New Ulm. When Deputy Byro asked her how much alcohol she had consumed that night, Escobar refused to answer, telling the deputy that question was for her lawyer.
Paramedics took Escobar to New Ulm Medical Center shortly after officers arrived. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant to take a sample of her blood to check her blood alcohol level.
The Brown County Attorney’s Office filed criminal charges against Escobar on Monday morning. She now faces two counts of criminal vehicular homicide for driving under the influence of alcohol.
People across Hanska are now coming to terms with losing two long-time neighbors at once. The Minnesota State Patrol and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office are still gathering evidence to piece together the final moments before the crash.
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