A 911 dispatcher has been killed by a drunk driver in Minneapolis, and her husband heard the call while he was monitoring emergency dispatch at home, police said.
Jenna Bixby, 30, was killed on Saturday, Feb. 17, in a crash caused by a retired minister going the wrong way on Highway 252, according to CBS Minnesota.
Her husband, Daniel Bixby, heard the call on a police scanner in his home, and later had the news confirmed by state troopers who visited him.
The driver who was going the wrong way has been named as Richard Shaka, 72. Police told CBS that they smelled alcohol coming from him and they intend to charge him with criminal vehicular homicide.
He is now in critical condition at North Memorial Medical Center.
Shaka is well-known in his local community and had retired from leading the All Nations Christian Assembly church.
Pastor Earlsworth (Baba) Letang, who now leads the church, said he didn’t believe alcohol would be involved in the accident.
He told CBS, “I would be shocked to be very honest with you. I can’t believe it, I mean you mentioning it I can’t believe that alcohol would be an issue here.”
Daniel Bixby told media that his wife had been passionate about emergency responders since she was little.
“She loved helping other people, that’s why she was working in 911 dispatch,” he told CBS.
“She was on her way to work to help other people, to answer these types of calls for car accidents and anything else that—other emergencies that people need help with,” he said.
“When the two state troopers showed up at my door, I knew—they didn’t have to tell me,” he added.
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