State Patrol: BAC of killed Mankato student was 0.06 percent

by Melanie Sommer, Minnesota Public Radio

Rissa Amen-Reif, the Mankato college student who was struck and killed by a car after attending a sorority party in November, had a blood alcohol level of .06 percent, below the legal level of intoxication, according to the State Patrol.

St. Paul, Minn. — Amen-Reif, 22, left an annual sorority celebration on the night of Nov. 17, 2007, and ended up lying in a road miles away. The senior sociology student from Eden Prairie apparently fell into the street and was struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle.

Her friend, Corinne Overstake, 21, of Loretto -- who police say may have been trying to help Amen-Reif -- was critically injured.

The State Patrol said Tuesday that Overstake's blood alcohol level was .09. The legal standard for operating a motor vehicle is .08.

Mankato police have said from the beginning of the investigation that alcohol was involved in the accident, but have not provided any further details or released the toxicology reports on the two women.

Police had said earlier that the 17-year-old driver of the car that struck the women did not have any alcohol or drugs in his system. Police have not released the driver's name.

The State Patrol says it's completed its investigation and believes it knows how the accident happened. It's turning over its findings to the Blue Earth County Attorney's office. That office will determine if any charges will be filed.