Driver in fatal Wabasha collision convicted of a felony

WABASHA, Minn. (KTTC) – An 85-year-old man was convicted of a felony for the hit-and-run of a 16-year-old skateboarder in August 2021.

85-year-old Bernard Quist was convicted of vehicular homicide with an alcohol level of .08 or more within two hours of driving.

Under State Statute 609.2112, the maximum sentence for criminal vehicular homicide is 10 years and up to $20,000.

The Wabasha Police Department responded at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31, to 712 Grant Boulevard West in Wabasha for a report of a vehicle striking a person on a skateboard.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found 16-year-old Adrianna Simon lying motionless on the ground with a skateboard nearby. Simon was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to Gundersen St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.

Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang at the time of the incident, and when they went to investigate, they found Quist and a woman at the scene.

When law enforcement arrived to the scene, Quist was not there. Later, Quist and the woman reached out to law enforcement and returned to the scene. He then admitted to driving the vehicle and hitting Simon, and being aware she was severely injured, if not dead.

Quist also admitted to previously consuming several alcoholic beverages, and a preliminary breath test showed he had a presumptive blood alcohol content level of 0.096, which is over the legal limit of .08.