Inset: Robert Marines Rodriguez (Ramsey County Jail). Background: Dana Lucker-Milan (Facebook).
A Minnesota man was allegedly drunk when he crashed his Jeep into a motorcyclist, who later died while being rushed to the hospital.
Robert Marines Rodriguez, 63, is in custody at the Ramsey County Jail after police said he caused a fatal crash that killed 31-year-old Dana Lucker-Milan. According to the White Bear Lake Police Department, law enforcement including police officers, Ramsey County Sheriff's Office deputies, and Minnesota State Patrol troopers responded to reports of a crash near Highway 61 and Highway 96 around 8:30 p.m. on June 10. Court documents obtained by local ABC affiliate KSTP stated that the two-vehicle crash involved a Jeep being driven by Rodriguez and a motorcycle operated by Lucker-Milan.
Lucker-Milan was brought to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. Rodriguez was arrested on suspicion of DWI and criminal vehicular operation.
According to court documents, police said Rodriguez claimed that he had a blinking yellow arrow at an intersection and made the turn. He told police he did not see Lucker-Milan's motorcycle when he turned.
Troopers said that when they spoke to Rodriguez, he smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and was slurring his speech. Police said he performed "poorly" during a field sobriety test and blew a 0.27 on a Breathalyzer, more than three times the legal limit. According to court documents, Rodriguez allegedly admitted that he had a bloody mary and a shot of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky before getting into his vehicle.
KSTP reported that Rodriguez has a prior DWI conviction from 2021.
On social media, tributes poured in for Lucker-Milan, a beloved member of the local motorcycle community. Her brother Jerrod Lucker, a mayoral candidate in Rochester, Minnesota, wrote on Facebook, "This is a post I never wanted to make, and a pain I would never wish on anyone. The world lost a beloved sister, daughter, and friend on that fateful night."
Lucker-Milan's sister, Brianna Weeks, told KSTP, "I got a call that she was in an accident and she was at Regions [Hospital]. I didn't know what condition she was in. When they finally called us, they told us that her heart stopped in the ambulance, and they tried everything they could, but she was already gone."
Lucker-Milan's funeral is scheduled for June 21. A celebration of her life and motorcycle ride in her memory took place on Sunday.
Rodriguez was charged with vehicular homicide. His next court date was not publicly available.
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