Judge Theodore Sandberg ruled on March 7 to suppress chemical breath test evidence in Travis Dean Bell’s upcoming trial. Bell (44) faces charges of Class A felony criminal vehicular homicide and Class C felony criminal vehicular injury, with up to 20 years imprisonment possible. The charges stem from a June 2024 crash where Bell allegedly rear-ended a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, severely injuring Nicole Louthain and fatally injuring her 6-year-old daughter Katarina. Bell’s attorney Mark Friese successfully argued the breath test was inadmissible because: Bell wasn’t charged with DUI, exempting him from implied consent laws; he was unlawfully coerced into taking the test; officers failed to obtain a warrant as required for his level of charges.
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