Fargo driver could face charges after airplane hangar crash - InForum | Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo news, weather and sports

2022-06-24 20:12:29 By : Mr. Ziping Yin

FARGO — A 32-year-old woman may face criminal charges after she allegedly drove a pickup truck through a private hangar at Hector International Airport and damaged two airplanes.

At about 1:33 p.m. on June 13, Rachelle Slotten of Fargo drove a 2022 Chevrolet SLV into the private hangar north of the Fargo Jet Center, a hub for private planes, according to Greg Schildberger, a spokesman for the city of Fargo.

Slotten then struck an airplane, which spun around and hit a second airplane, according to Schildberger.

Slotten continued out of the hangar heading south onto the taxiway, through open fields and crashed through a chain-link fence, and then drove toward North University Drive where she crashed into another pickup truck, a 2018 Ford F-450, in the 3700 block of North University, Schildberger said.

Medics took Slotten by ambulance to a local hospital for an evaluation, according to the city spokesman.

The airplanes and the 2022 Chevrolet SLV pickup sustained substantial, debilitating damage.

The Fargo Police Department and the Transportation Security Administration are investigating the incident, said Shawn Dobberstein, executive director of the Municipal Airport Authority.

The TSA will look into how the driver gained access to the hangar and taxiway, which are off limits to the general public. After that's determined, possible increased security measures may be considered, Dobberstein said.

Dobberstein said he was not aware of who owned the airplanes that were damaged.

Fargo police recommended to the Cass County State's Attorney's Office that Slottten be charged with reckless endangerment and criminal mischief in excess of $10,000, Schildberger said.

As of Thursday, formal charges had not been filed against Slotten. The Forum's attempts to reach her via phone and social media were unsuccessful.

The Federal Aviation Administration is also involved, but primarily to evaluate the damage done to the airplanes, Dobberstein said.