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Charges allege off-duty Washington County deputy was under the influence of alcohol when he crashed into a car full of children

Charges allege off-duty Washington County deputy was under the influence of alcohol when he crashed into a car full of children

AFTON, Minn. — Off-duty Washington County deputy under the influence of alcohol, he hit a car full of children– according to the charges brought on Thursday.

A criminal complaint filed in Washington County shows Campbell Blair, 58, faces one count each of criminal driving causing serious bodily injury while under the influence of alcohol and carrying a pistol under the influence of alcohol.

The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash occurred around 10:39 a.m. Sunday in Afton on Highway 95 at Scenic Lane.

The patrol said Blair was driving a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek northbound on the highway when he crossed the center line and collided head-on with a 2022 Ford Expedition. Troopers believe both vehicles were traveling at approximately 55 mph at the time of the crash and no brake marks were observed .

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Campbell Blair

Washington County Sheriff’s Office


The driver and passenger of the Ford, a 38-year-old Lake Elmo man and a 36-year-old Woodbury woman, respectively, suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening. There were also five children in the car at the time of the accident, aged 2 to 9, who were not injured. One of the victims told investigators that she was going to the apple orchard to celebrate her youngest child’s birthday.

According to the charges, Blair, who was off-duty, was wearing a Washington County sheriff’s deputy’s uniform and had a handgun in the front passenger seat. He told the soldier that he had worked at Regions Hospital from 9:00 p.m. the previous evening until 7:00 a.m. the morning of the disaster. He claimed he was being asked to return to work at Regions.

Investigators later learned that Blair had not been called back to work and was not scheduled to work again until later that evening.

“It was unknown why the defendant was wearing his full uniform, service vest and handgun,” the complaint states.

The charges state that prior to the crash, several witnesses observed Blair crossing lane lines and driving erratically.

At the hospital, Blair denied drinking any alcohol. He agreed to take a preliminary breathalyzer test and “provided a poor sample with a result of 0.092,” the defendants say.

A search warrant was obtained to obtain a sample of Blair’s blood.

“We are aware of a traffic accident that resulted in the death of an off-duty Washington County deputy,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement shared with WCCO. “The Minnesota State Patrol is currently investigating the incident and, pending the outcome of the investigation, we will take all appropriate actions in accordance with our policies and procedures.”

Authorities say the driver of the Ford broke multiple bones and had to undergo surgery at a hospital.