GRAND FORKS — The fate of an alleged fatal drunken driving case in Grand Forks rests in the hands of the North Dakota Supreme Court.

Justices must decide if a North Dakota state trooper illegally forced the driver accused of causing the crash to provide a breath test.

The hearing before the Supreme Court on Monday, Sept. 8, came one day after what would have been Katarina Louthain’s eighth birthday.

Video from inside Nicole Louthain’s car showed when her vehicle was struck from behind by a pickup while stopped at a red light in front of Grand Forks International Airport. Nicole was seriously hurt. Her daughter, Katarina, was killed.

Travis Bell, 44, of Fordville, is charged with criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular injury, both enhanced drunken driving charges. However,

See Full Page