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Woman Charged In Crash That Killed Boy, 11

HASTINGS, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Savage, Minn. woman has been charged with killing an 11-year-old boy while driving last summer.

Leah Graeber, 28, has been charged with felony criminal vehicular homicide in the death of Joey Balistreri, of Burnsville.

On July 18, Graeber was driving along Highway 13 just west of Washburn Avenue when she crossed the grassy median, launched her vehicle and drove into oncoming traffic.

Graeber's vehicle crashed head-on into an SUV carrying four members of the Balistreri family. She was going anywhere from 78 to 90 or 100 miles per hour when she struck the other vehicle.

"She went airborne for about 300 feet and then struck the Balistreri vehicle. They had no chance to avoid this collision," said Dakota County Attorney Jim Backstrom.

The family was heading home from a soccer game. Joey Balistreri was killed. His father, Geoff Balistreri, was badly hurt and got out of the hospital earlier this month.

"It's a terrible tragedy. The Balistreri family has suffered an incomprehensible loss," said Backstrom.

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Troopers found an open beer bottle and drug paraphernalia in Graeber's car, including traces of cocaine and THC. However, Backstrom said it appears Graeber was not under the influence at the time of the crash.

Graeber is currently under a civil commitment for a mental health issue. She has also been charged with four other criminal counts, including three counts of criminal vehicular operation and a fifth-degree controlled substance crime.

Last August, Graeber called WCCO-TV and claimed she passed out at the wheel after taking a psychiatric drug and felt like she was in a trance right before the accident.

In that same call, Graeber also said she sometimes thinks she's God and felt blessed to be in the accident. She said she knew that Balistreri was a very special boy. She said she was upset because ignorant people no longer believed she was God.

Between 2002 and 2009, Graeber had been civilly commitment to a mental health facility at least seven times -- a serious step for people considered dangerous to themselves or others. According to mental health experts, Graeber's illness is considered severe.

She's diagnosed with schizoeffective disorder, which means she hallucinates and every mood -- happy, sad, angry -- is greatly exaggerated.

Graeber will make her first appearance in Dakota County court on these charges on Wednesday morning.

Backstrom expects Graeber to undergo tests in the next few weeks to see if she is mentally competent to stand trial and to determine her mental health status at the time of the crash.

WCCO-TV's Caroline Lowe Reports

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