OTSEGO, Minn. — An Otsego man is charged with criminal vehicular homicide in connection with an UTV crash that claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy.
Prosecutors say Austin Mehlhoff Copsey was drunk when he crashed his Polaris side-by-side into a row of mailboxes July 16 and rolled several times, ending up in the ditch. A passenger in the UTV, 12-year-old Jesse Hooper, was killed in the incident. Jesse is the son of an Elk River Firefighter.
A criminal complaint says Wright County deputies were dispatched on reports of a UTV crash on the 14100 block of 78th St. NE in Otsego shortly after 10 p.m. On arrival they found the side-by-side in a ditch, and learned the UTV had left the roadway and struck a group of mailboxes on a post that was cemented to the ground.
Deputies found a child, later identified as Jesse Hooper, laying in the ditch with traumatic injuries. He showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead on the scene.
The owner of the UTV, 37-year-old Austin Copsey, was located on scene with a visible head wound. Deputies say he smelled of alcohol and spoke with slurred speech. Investigators soon learned that Copsey had been at a neighborhood party, and he and Jesse were on their way to pick up Copsey's daughter. A field test put the defendant's BAC at .19, more than twice the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle in Minnesota.
When first questioned deputies say Copsey told them he didn't recall the events that led to the crash, and went back and forth on whether he was driving the UTV. Later, after being advised of his rights, prosecutors say Copsey admitted he was driving at the time of the fatal crash.
An obituary for Jesse Hooper says a celebration of his life is set for 4 p.m. Friday, July 22 at Grace Fellowship Church in Brooklyn Park. Visitation begins at 2:00 p.m. with a snack reception to follow the service.
Jesse's obituary described him as "light-hearted" with "emotional awareness beyond his years." The obituary said Jesse attended Prairie View Middle School. It has not yet been revealed how he died.
A GoFundMe created by a neighbor has raised over $9,000 to support Jesse's family. More than 150 people have contributed to the fundraiser as of Tuesday afternoon.
Elk River based AEGIR Brewing Company has committed to raising money for Jesse's family in a Facebook post of its own. All taproom sales on Saturday, July 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be donated to the Hooper family.
Jesse's father Tony Hooper has been an Elk River firefighter since 2020, according to the department's site.
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