Columbia man pleads not guilty in fatal DWI crash

A Columbia man pleaded not guilty in a deadly Jefferson City crash.

Dennis Leporin, 28, appeared before a judge Wednesday after a grand jury indicted him on charges of second-degree murder, second-degree assault, driving while intoxicated and two misdemeanors last month.

Court documents state on Wednesday, March 6, Leporin was driving the wrong way on Highway 54 and crashed head-on into another car, killing Chelsea Fredrickson, 19, of Camdenton.

The probable cause statement quotes Leporin as telling law enforcement, “I was in a horrible wreck that I caused.” The statement also quotes Leporin as saying on the night of the crash, he was in Arkansas and that the year was 2012.

Officials say Leporin had a revoked driver’s license at the time of the accident, and that he has at least two prior DWI convictions.